NTCC Gets Funeral Service Program

The NTCC Funeral Service Education team is pictured (from left): Olga Retana, Abby Shurtz, Rebecca M. Robidas Gardner, Savannah Calhoun, and Manuel Osorio.

Northeast Texas Community College recently received notification that its Funeral Service program has been granted a seven-year reaccreditation with the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). It makes NTCC one of only four accredited funeral service education programs in Texas. Students who graduate from the program with an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Funeral Services Degree is eligible to sit for their National Board Exams in funeral directing and embalming.

“In the past couple of years, the funeral service program has seen dramatic growth. I am so excited that the program has reached this goal to continue providing superior academic experiences and developing future funeral service practitioners.” Rebecca Robidas Gardner, NTCC Director of Funeral Service Education, said.

Students complete most of the program work online with real-world practical experiences completed in local funeral homes and through an on-campus practicum in the final semester. Thus far, the A.A.S. and Certificate programs have graduated 43 Funeral Directing and Embalming students and anticipate the graduation of 33 more students this May. To learn more about the program, visit www.ntcc.edu/funeralservice.