Program Description

The Mortuary Science Program at Malcolm X College provides students the knowledge and skills necessary for the care of human remains. Students receive training in every phase of funeral service: learning embalming and restoration techniques, conduction of funeral services and grief facilitation for the bereaved.
Students that successfully complete curriculum and capstone course will become eligible to take the Conference Examination (National Board Exam) that will allow the legal state registration to intern and practice funeral directing and embalming.

Accreditation
The Mortuary Science Curriculum is fully approved for funeral service education by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, the Department of Adult Vocational and Technical Education, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations.
MXC Mortuary Science Program is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, approved by the Board of Education, Department of Adult Vocational and Technical Education, Illinois Department of Higher Education, Illinois Community College Board and recognized by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulations.

The Mortuary Science Program holds memberships with the following Funeral Service Organizations:

Illinois Funeral Directors Association
National Funeral Directors Association
National Funeral Directors Morticians Association
Illinois Select Morticians Association
University Mortuary Science Education Association

The Mortuary Science Program holds affiliations with the following Funeral
Service Organizations:

American Board of Funeral Service Education
International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards
Order of the Golden Rule
Indiana Funeral Directors Association
Jewish Funeral Directors Association
Funeral Ethics Association

Goals of the Program

• Provide a relevant, current and comprehensive ABFSE curriculum.
• Provide comprehensive public safety and technical experiences through laboratory education.
• Establish mastery levels at which students can successfully complete all program requirements and pass the ICFSE.
• Provide students with the necessary academic preparation to become licensed by the IDFPR.
• Establish and maintain program policies that support a well rounded professional for empowerment.

Aims of the Program

• Central aim recognizes the importance of funeral service education personnel as members of a human services profession
• Members of the community in which they serve
• Participants in the relationship between bereaved families and those engaged in the funeral service profession
• Professionals knowledgeable of and compliant with federal, state, provincial, and local regulatory guidelines as well as professionals sensitive to the responsibility for public health, and welfare in caring for human remains

Objectives of the Program

• To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession
• To enlarge students in every phase of funeral service and to help enable them to develop proficiency and skills necessary for the profession, as defined by the Preamble above;
• To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community at large
• To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct
• To provide a curriculum at the post-secondary level of instruction, and to encourage student an faculty research in the field of funeral service