Funeral service program gets new life at Bridgewater State

BRIDGEWATER — When Mount Ida College abruptly shut its doors last May, students in the funeral service program were left in the wake.

But thanks to a quick response from Cape Cod Community College, the program will soon have a new life on the campus of Bridgewater State University.

On Tuesday,  the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education officially approved a new associate in science degree in funeral service at the college. Prospective students can now receive guaranteed acceptance for the program, which starts in September, and identify funerals service as their major.

In a move to provide easier access to students across the region, the program and all classrooms and laboratories are housed entirely at Bridgewater State.

“We are proud to now be the only state college in Massachusetts approved by the Board of Higher Education to deliver this program,” said John L. Cox, president of Cape Cod Community College, in a statement.

"It is uncommon to see a program be developed and approved in less than a year, let alone an associate degree program housed on the campus of a four-year college. This approval is groundbreaking, and is a testament to their hard work," Cox said.

Funeral service landed on the college’s radar following the sudden closing of Mount Ida College in May 2018,. Students in its funeral service program were displaced with no path to complete their degree program. Cape Cod responded quickly, building a teach-out program approved by the Department of Higher Education to serve the displaced students, and a lab-space at Bridgewater State where the students would have access to on-campus housing.

The students began the program in October and in mid-January five former Mount Ida students obtained their degrees as the first graduates from the program.

Students will be required to be on the Bridgewater campus two days a week. A live-streaming option will allow students to access classes even if they cannot be on campus.

Over the next several months, the college will seek accreditation from  the American Board of Funeral Service Education.

For more information or to register for the fall semester, visit capecod.edu/funeralservice, call 774-330-4311, or email admiss@capecod.edu.