Funeral Services

This Funeral Services program will prepare you for a successful career handling funerals, burials, and cremations with calm professionalism and compassion.

Why Consider Funeral Services?

  • You understand managing the process involved after losing loved ones requires respectful, compassionate care by professionals.
  • Carrying out activities ranging from embalming, restoring physical appearances and arranging funeral services interests you.
  • You can approach handling funerals, burials and cremations with calm professionalism.
  • The ability to provide comfort and support to families and friends during times of loss comes naturally to you

Why Learn at Lakeshore?

  • This is a shared program, which means you take general education courses through Lakeshore your first two terms and core program courses in person at Milwaukee Area Technical College your third and fourth terms.
  • Start in fall or spring.
  • Our low faculty-to-student ratio allows you to get to know your instructors and classmates.
  • Academic, personal and financial resources are available to support your success.

What It Takes

  • Empathy and a relationship-focused approach to working with people
  • Management and organizational skills to coordinate arrangements, services, visitations, and ceremonies
  • Interest in learning federal, state, and local laws regarding funeral service proceedings
  • Willingness to be responsible for preparing human remains
Career Area
Human Services
Type
Associate Degree
Program Number
10-528-1
Availability
In-Person
  • Associate Degree
  • 4 Terms
  • 65-66 credits
  • Financial Aid Eligible
  • Starts fall/spring
  • Shared Program with Milwaukee Area Technical College

 Shared Program Details

  • This program is shared with Milwaukee Area Technical College. Students follow MATC’s and Lakeshore’s admission processes prior to enrolling in term one of the program. Lakeshore cannot admit students until they are accepted by MATC.
  • The first two terms of the program are offered through Lakeshore to make starting the program more convenient for local students. The third and fourth terms are taken in person at MATC. Graduates of the program will earn their degree from MATC.
  • A Funeral Services Apprenticeship course involving two eight-hour days is required before completing the Funeral Services petition process with MATC.
  • It’s important to stay connected with your Admissions Advisor and Program Counselor throughout your time in this program to ensure a smooth transition to MATC.

     

 Other Important Information

Funeral services Pathway

Career Outlook

Funeral Service

Median Income: $57,801.00*

POTENTIAL JOB TITLES

(Click a title for job description)

Perform various tasks to arrange and direct individual funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners.

 

Plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes. Includes activities such as determining prices for services or merchandise and managing the facilities of funeral homes.

 

Perform a variety of tasks during funeral, such as placing casket in parlor or chapel prior to service, arranging floral offerings or lights around casket, directing or escorting mourners, closing casket, and issuing and storing funeral equipment.

 

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

 



Disclosure:

*Lightcast/EMSI data is a hybrid dataset derived from official government sources such as the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. This salary data is from the Lakeshore District.

Admission and First Semester Enrollment Steps

Submit high school transcripts, college transcripts, and test scores (optional, highly recommended). Official transcripts will be needed for transferring college credit(s) and for financial aid purposes.

Program Cost

  • Tuition Cost: $10,168.10
  • Book Cost: $2,766.50
  • Supply Cost: $789.00
  • Program Total: $13,723.60

Any applicable waitlist and petition processes will follow Milwaukee Area Technical College's standards. Please visit MATC's program webpage for more information.

This is a shared program, which means you take general education courses at Lakeshore and core program courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).

Many of Lakeshore’s general education courses are offered in a variety of delivery formats including in person, iFlex, online, competency-based education, accelerated, and blended. Having the flexibility to choose what works best for you helps you fit college into your schedule more easily. Delivery format descriptions can be found here.
 

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Downloads

2025-2026-Funeral-Service.pdf

pdf - 262.9 KB

2024-2025 Funeral Service Program Sheet

pdf - 262.91 KB