REQUIRED COURSE SEQUENCE (Campus and Online)

AAMI requires students to complete all courses in the curriculum. All courses are listed with the pre-requisites (i.e., a course or courses that must be taken before another course) and co-requisites (i.e., a course required to be taken in conjunction with another course), if any. The required sequence for enrolling in courses is listed in the first column on the left of the chart. A student wishing to attend part-time, and also to be assured of completing the program in the required 4-years, should follow the course listing in the categories A through K .

CLICK HERE FOR PDF OF REQUIRED COURSE SEQUENCE

In accordance with educational guidelines established by the American Board of Funeral Service Education there are five areas of instruction provided;

1. PUBLIC HEALTH AND TECHNICAL (PHT)
   Principles of Embalming I, Color and Cosmetics, Microbiology for Embalmers, Principles of Embalming II, Chemistry for Embalmers, Clinical Embalming; Pathology for Embalmers, Principles of Embalming III, Anatomy II, Anatomy III, Restorative Art, Comprehensive Science Review.
2. SOCIAL SCIENCES (SOC)
   History of Funeral Service, Death and Human Development, Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling, Sociology of Funeral Service, Comprehensive Arts Review.
3. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (BUS)
   Funeral Home Directing, Small Business Management, Accounting I, Funeral Home Management and Merchandising, Accounting II, Crematory & Cemetery Operations.
4. LEGAL, REGULATORY, AND ETHICAL (LAW)
   Professional Ethics, Business Law; Mortuary Law; State Rules.
5. GENERAL EDUCATION
   Principles of Mathematics, Communication Skills, Introduction to Science, Anatomy I, Introduction to Microbiology, Introduction to Pathology, Introduction to Chemistry.

Holidays:	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
New Year’s Day	Wed. 1 Jan	Fri. 1 Jan	Fri. 31 Dec	Mon. 2 Jan	Mon. 1 Jan	Wed. 1 Jan
Martin Luther King’s Birthday	Mon. 20 Jan	Mon. 18 Jan	Mon. 17 Jan	Mon. 16 Jan	Mon. 15 Jan	Mon. 20 Jan
Presidents’ Day	Mon. 17 Feb	Mon. 15 Feb	Mon. 21 Feb	Mon. 20 Feb	Mon. 19 Feb	Mon. 17 Feb
Good Friday	Fri. 10 Apr	Fri. 2 Apr	Fri. 15 Apr	Fri. 7 Apr	Fri. 29 Mar	Fri. 18 Apr
Memorial Day	Mon. 25 May	Mon. 31 May	Mon. 30 May	Mon. 29 May	Mon. 27 May	Mon. 26 May
Independence Day	Fri. 3 Jul	Mon. 5 Jul	Mon. 4 Jul	Tues. 4 Jul	Thurs. 4 Jul	Fri. 4 Jul
Labor Day	Mon. Sept 7	Mon. Sept 6	Mon. Sept 5	Mon. Sept 4	Mon. Sept 2	Mon. Sept 1
Columbus Day	Mon. Oct 12	Mon. Oct 11	Mon. Oct 10	Mon. Oct 9	Mon. Oct 14	Mon. Oct 13
Veterans’ Day	Wed. 11 Nov	Thurs. 11 Nov	Fri. 11 Nov	Fri. 10 Nov	Mon. 11 Nov	Tues. 11 Nov
Thanksgiving Recess (Thursday and Friday)	26 & 27 Nov	25 & 26 Nov	24 & 25 Nov	23 & 24 Nov	28 & 29 Nov	27 & 28 Nov
Christmas Day	Fri. 25 Dec	Fri. 24 Dec.	Mon. 26 Dec	Mon. 25 Dec	Wed. 25 Dec	Thurs. 25 Dec

Please note: For online courses, check the individual semester calendars for holiday observance. Not all holidays are observed for online courses.

State Authorization
As a provider of an online degree program, AAMI is subject to the regulations and requirements of each state with regard to delivering online courses to students residing in each respective state. State Regulations vary from state to state, requiring educational institutions wishing to offer a degree to comply with these regulations and apply for authorization to offer the degree. AAMI is approved in 44 states (including NY). AAMI has not sought approval in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska or Oregon and is unable to accept students for admission from those states.

Complaint Resolution
In compliance the Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) conducted a Negotiated Rule Making Process in 2010, requiring institutions offering distance education to provide enrolled and prospective students with contact information for filing complaints with its accrediting agency and with the appropriate state agency for handling complaints in the student’s state. Below is information on AAMI’s accrediting agency, followed by a state-by-state listing of the agencies in each state responsible for complaints regarding out-of-state distance education programs. AAMI strongly advises students to try to resolve any and all complaints with the school first, prior to contacting Accrediting or State Agencies.

AAMI’s Accreditation
American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service is nationally accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) 992 Mantua Pike, Woodbury Heights, N J  08097 (816)233-3747. Web: www.abfse.org. The New York State Board of Higher Education has authorized AAMI to offer an Associate Degree in Occupational Studies. Information regarding the complaint processes for these agencies can be found on their websites: http://abfse.org and http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/spr/COMPLAINTFORMINFO.html.

Complaint Resolution Contacts By State

 AAMI uses Blackboard Learn (SaaS deployment) as their learning management system. To take online courses at AAMI you must have sufficient technology, Internet access, an email account.

What hardware, peripherals, software and applications should I have?

NOTE: Tablets, Tablet/Laptop Hybrid Devices, and Mobile Devices are not supported at this time. You may be able to use them successfully for reading lectures and assignments, but test-taking is not supported.

Please refer to here for specific information about supported devices, operating systems, and browsers.  From there, click on the BROWSER CHECKER link to find out what operating system and browser you are already using, and whether it is supported.

In addition, you must have:

• Microsoft Office 2007 (PC) or later, Office 2008 (MAC) or, at least,  Microsoft WORD
• Adobe® Reader 9.0 or later
• Local administrative privileges (for required software installations) –
• It is strongly recommended that you have administrative rights to the computer you will use for AAMI online coursework. If you must use a computer over which you do not have administrative rights (such as a library computer or a workplace computer), you may experience difficulties with needed functions, such as installing plug-ins. Students using library or workplace computers will have limited support options due to access limitations on such networks. Check with your workplace IT department to ensure that you may access course materials from your company’s network.
• Anti-virus program (updated regularly)
• E-mail account
• Must be your own account, not shared with anyone else
• An email address that clearly identifies you is preferable

Unsupported Technologies:

• Windows XP
• Windows, MacOS, and Linux systems not running a supported browser
• Internet Explorer versions 10 and lower which are no longer supported by Microsoft; Internet Explorer on mobile devices
• Firefox versions 30 and lower on desktop; all Firefox versions on mobile devices
• Chrome versions 35 and lower (version 34 and lower on mobile devices)
• Safari versions 5 and lower
• JRE 5 for Blackboard Learn Original user interfaces

Tuition & Fees

• How long will it take to complete the Online Program?
  A student taking 8 credits a semester can complete the program in 3 years.
• Can I take the entire Funeral Service Associate Degree Online?
  You can take all of the courses online except the clinical components in Restorative Art.
• Are the Online Courses the same as Campus Courses? 
  The online courses at AAMI have the same requirements and content as those offered on the campus.
• Is there a limit on the number of credits I may take online in a semester? 
  You are limited to 14 credits per semester.
• Is there a minimum number of credits I must take? 
  There is no minimum. However, you must complete the degree in two years after the student has achieved 35 credits.
• Is there a minimum number of credits I must take? 
  There is no minimum. However, you must complete the degree in two years after the student has achieved 35 credits.
• Will I be able to finish in four years taking courses part-time? 
  The Associate Degree requires the successful completion of 69 credits. In a four-year period there are 12 semesters of 13 weeks each. If you take 5 or 6 credits (approximately 2-3 courses) per semester, you could finish the program in four years.
• What technology will I need to take courses? 
  You will need access to a personal computer with a modem, a web cam and a printer. In addition, you will need an Internet Service Provider (ISP), email and World Wide Web (www) browser capabilities. Please call 866.932.2264 for more information on technology requirements. You will also need a high-speed internet connection.
• How will I take tests? 
  Most of your exams will be taken over the Internet. Midterms and final exams will be scheduled for specific dates and you will need a password to access them. Most password protected tests will have a time-limit requirement.
• Will I have any communication with other students? 
  We encourage communication with the faculty and other students. Each course is built with discussion groups as a central component of the course. There will be many team projects and other opportunities to get to know your fellow students.
• Are the admission requirements the same as the Campus Program? 
  Yes, the admission requirements are exactly the same.
• What are the admissions requirements? 
  Applicants must be high school graduates or hold a state approved equivalent diploma. In addition, an applicant must comply with any specific legal or educational requirement prescribed by his/her intended state of practice.
• How do I apply for admission? 
  You can apply for admission online at: hereor by contacting our Admissions Office Toll Free 1-866-932-2264 (1-866-WEB-AAMI).
• Can I take just the courses required for a “Funeral Director-Only” program so that I don’t have to take embalming? 
  Not at this time. If the American Board of Funeral Service Education approves the accreditation of a Funeral Director-Only degree in the future, AAMI will consider offering it.
• How do I buy my textbooks and other materials? 
  You can order your books by going to our online bookstore.
• How much will it cost? 
  The tuition is the same for campus and online courses and found on the AAMI web site.
• Is Financial Aid available? 
  Yes, Federal Aid and in some cases State Aid is available if you qualify.
• How do I pay? 
  You may pay by check or pay online with Visa or Mastercard.
• Can I receive transfer credit for courses I have already taken? 
  AAMI provides transfer credit for courses that meet general education requirements. A transfer evaluation will be completed prior to your enrolling in your first class. Please review our transfer policy on the AAMI web site or in the Online Catalog.
• Do I have to register with the New York State Department of Health as a Registered Student Trainee even though I am not from New York? 
  Yes, the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Funeral Directing mandates that regardless of the state in which you wish to be licensed, you must register with their department.
• Can I convert my diploma to an associate degree now? 
  If you graduated from AAMI’s diploma program and passed the national board exam no more than 4 years ago, you are eligible to apply to have your diploma converted to an associate degree. The fee for the associate degree is $100.00.
  If it has been more than 4 years since you completed your degree, and you passed the national board exam, the credits earned more than 4 years ago will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. It is possible that you will be required to retake courses that have been revised substantially in the intervening years.
• I attended but did not complete the program at another ABFSE program; can I transfer my credits to AAMI and get a degree?
  If you have credits from another institution, you may apply to AAMI as a transfer student. Please refer to the transfer policy in the catalog or online.

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