Funeral & Mortuary Science Major

Funeral and mortuary science is a major that typically falls into the Personal & Culinary Services category.

There are 65 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in mortuary science, 10 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 0 that offer a master’s degree.

Who Is Getting a Mortuary Science Degree?

Funeral and mortuary science is one of the least chosen majors in the country, ranked #255 in popularity. About 200 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the field in 2017. The major attracts more women than men. About 69.1% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of mortuary science majors is as follows:

• Asian: 0.5%
• Black or African American: 12.8%
• Hispanic or Latino: 3.2%
• White: 78.2%
• Non-Resident Alien: 0%
• Other Races: 5.3%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in mortuary science. About 0% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending mortuary science majors to the U.S. are Jamaica, Venezuela and Japan.

What Will You Learn as a Funeral & Mortuary Science Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to mortuary science to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Mortuary Science Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Mortuary Science Majors

Mortuary science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

Abilities for Mortuary Science Majors

A major in mortuary science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

What Can You Do With a Mortuary Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with mortuary science:

Careers Related to Funeral & Mortuary Science

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Funeral Service Managers	7%	$79,180
Embalmers	0%	$44,250
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors	3.8%	$52,650

Funeral & Mortuary Science Major Salary

Mortuary science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $47,000 to $94,000. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

Your salary will be largely dependent on the career path you follow and what area of the country (or world) you work. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Funeral & Mortuary Science Major Jobs

Some careers associated with mortuary science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for mortuary science careers below.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Funeral & Mortuary Science

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	0%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	3%
Post-Secondary Certificate	9.4%
Some College Courses	2.7%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	64%
Bachelor's Degree	13.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	4%
Master's Degree	0%
Post-Master's Certificate	0%
First Professional Degree	4.5%
Doctoral Degree	0%
Post-Doctoral Training	0%

Online Funeral & Mortuary Science Programs

There are 10 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in funeral and mortuary science, with 2 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Getting your degree online is not easy and includes watching and listening to hours of lectures, participating in group charts, submitting papers by the appropriate deadline and taking tests. Some online programs will also feature internships or in-person clinical hours.

Is a Funeral & Mortuary Science Major Worth It?

The median salary for a mortuary science grad is $58,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 48% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $374,400 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• Funeral & Mortuary Science
• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts
• Other Personal & Culinary Services

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: Senior Airman Andrew Lee via License