Funeral Service Education program at Southwest Tennessee Community College earns national accreditation

Southwest Tennessee Community College (STCC) announced in a news release in August that the Funeral Service Education (FSE) program was given full accreditation by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). The FSE program began in 2019 and graduated its first cohort of students in May 2021. The accreditation from ABFSE means that future graduates will qualify to take the National Board Exam, which means they can become licensed as funeral service directors and embalmers. 

The accreditation makes STCC's FSE program one of only two colleges in Tennessee that offer an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service Education with certification, and the only one in the state at a publicly funded institution. President Tracy D. Hall said in the news release, "This accreditation is a fantastic stamp of approval of this much-needed program in West Tennessee. Our faculty and staff worked exceptionally hard to achieve this prestigious designation so that our students can pursue their dreams right here in Memphis, with the lowest tuition cost. I am so proud and grateful we are able to meet this critical education and workforce need in our community."

The FSE program requires 63 credit hours of coursework, offered at the college's Whitehaven campus. Students learn about embalming, funeral home management, and funeral service law. Southwest Vice President for Academic Affairs, Kendricks Hooker, explained why the program has been successful since its launch, "Before Southwest launched its FSE program, Memphis residents who desired to become funeral service professionals had to drive to middle Tennessee or other states to pursue their studies. Now, they can study in the comfort and convenience of their community, some even in their own neighborhood. The Whitehaven community is an excellent location for this program. It's a prosperous neighborhood that provides an outstanding environment and access to a quality education for Mid-South residents and the community truly embraces Southwest's presence."