Program Description

The Funeral Services program at NTC is offered in collaboration with Milwaukee Area Technical College. The Funeral Services programs offers a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that covers all aspects of the funeral profession. You will learn from experienced instructors who are experts in their fields and who will guide you through lectures, hands-on labs, field trips, seminars, guest speakers and internships. You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including classrooms, embalming and restorative art labs, arrangement conference room, merchandise selection room and funeral chapel. You will also have the opportunity to network with other adult learners and professionals in the industry.

Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn an associate degree and be eligible to take the National Board Exam for funeral directors (required for licensure).

The program offers classes online and in-person. Travel to Milwaukee Area Technical College is required during the second year of the program.

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Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).
An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Explain the importance of funeral service professionals in developing relationships with the families and communities they serve.
  • Identify standards of ethical conduct in funeral service practice.
  • Interpret how federal, state, and local laws apply to funeral service in order to ensure compliance.
  • Apply principles of public health and safety in the handling and preparation of human remains.
  • Demonstrate technical skills in embalming and restorative art that are necessary for the preparation and handling of human remains.
  • Demonstrate skills required for conducting arrangement conferences, visitations, services, and ceremonies.
  • Describe the requirements and procedures for burial, cremation, and other accepted forms of final disposition of human remains.
  • Describe methods to address the grief-related needs of the bereaved.
  • Explain management skills associated with operating a funeral establishment.
  • Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and research skills needed for funeral service practice.

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Funeral Director
  • Embalmer

Courses

The Funeral Services Associate Degree is a 66–67 Credit program. The following is a typical full-time semester breakdown of the courses within the program, but a part-time option is available.

NTC and MATC Advisors will assist you with registration. Please note that 32 credits must be completed at NTC.

For further assistance, contact Xang Lee at 715.675.1618 or leex@ntc.edu, or Gabriel Schauff at 414.456.5320 or schauffg@matc.edu.

First Term (through NTC)

College 101 * 1.00
Written Communication 3.00
English Composition 1 3.00
Gen Anatomy & Physiology 4.00
Psychology Of Human Relations 3.00
Intro To Psychology 3.00
General Chemistry 4.00

Second Term (through NTC)

Oral/Interpersonal Communication 3.00
Speech 3.00
Intro to Sociology 3.00
Microbiology 4.00
Accounting Fundamentals 3.00
Accounting 1 4.00
Business Law 1 3.00

Third Term (through MATC)

Funeral Service Field Experience 1 2.00
Introduction to Funeral Service 2.00
Laws, Rules and Regulations of Funeral Service 3.00
Pathology of Funeral Service 2.00
Funeral Service Practices 4.00
National Board Exam Prep I 1.00
Embalming Theory 3.00
Embalming Lab 1 1.00

Fourth Term (through MATC)

Funeral Service Field Experience II 2.00
Funeral Service Management 3.00
Restorative Art 3.00
National Board Exam Prep II 1.00
Funeral Service Science 2.00
Psychology of Funeral Service 3.00
Funeral Service Management Lab 1.00
Restorative Art Lab 1.00
Embalming Lab 2 1.00

Transfer Information

All associate degrees transfer to a variety of programs at other partner colleges to give you the opportunity to continue your education in other areas of study.

View all transfer guides

Cost of Attendance

2024–2025 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,008 $9,147
Books / Supplies $1,465 $1,465
Transportation $4,017 $4,017
Personal Expenses $3,608 $3,608
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$17,027
Out-of-State
$19,310
In-State
$23,166
Out-of-State
$25,449

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $149.50 per credit and Out-of-State resident tuition is $224.25 per credit.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, Student Fees include: a minimum $5.00 material fee and a $13.15 per credit activity fee. A $4.00 per semester insurance fee will be assessed to students taking at least one course which has a scheduled session on campus.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

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Then, submit one of the following

Documentation can be sent via email to admissions@ntc.edu, via mail, addressed to: Northcentral Technical College, ATTN: Admissions, 1000 W. Campus Drive, Wausau, WI 54401, or delivered in person to any NTC campus.

  • High school transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. Contact the high school you attended if you do not have a copy of your transcript.
  • ACT composite score of 18 or above. Request an ACT College Report from ACT or contact the high school you graduated from if you do not have a copy on hand.
  • Accuplacer scores. Score requirements vary by program and version of the Accuplacer test that was taken. For more details, please contact Admissions. If you did not take the Accuplacer at NTC, contact the college at which you took it to obtain a copy of your scores.
  • College transcript indicating a cumulative GPA of 2.5 over a minimum of 12 credits, earned at a single college.

If you do not meet any one of the above criteria, don’t worry, complete the application anyway and we will contact you to discuss your options.

What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.