West Georgia Technical College’s Funeral Service Education Program Prepares Students to Serve in a High-Demand Industry

Waco, GA – West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) Funeral Service Education program is preparing for its first fall semester, which will allow students to learn about a growing profession and how to serve families and communities with professionalism, and care.

Throughout the program, students receive technical training in mortuary science, restorative art, and funeral home operations, while also studying bereavement care, legal compliance, ethics, and business management. Graduates earn an Associate of Applied Science degree equipped with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to enter the workforce.

“What makes this program special is we are one of four funeral service education programs in Georgia,” said Tyice Mills, Funeral Services Program Director at WGTC. “There is a great need for funeral directors and embalmers in our communities, but there are very few programs offered.” 

The need for trained funeral service professionals continues to create opportunities for graduates entering the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034, with thousands of openings expected annually as the industry replaces workers who retire or leave the profession. An associate degree is typically required to enter the field, making programs like WGTC’s Funeral Service Education program an important pathway for students interested in serving their communities through this specialized profession.        

Funeral service combines both art and science. Students learn how to communicate compassionately with families, use appropriate professional terminology, and guide individuals through the funeral planning process. On the science side, students learn embalming, how to properly care for a human body, the cremation process, and how to restore a body if there is trauma.

The program features two classrooms designed to replicate a working funeral home. One features an embalming lab, an anatomy lab, and a restorative art lab, while the other is a fully decorated chapel where students can practice conducting funeral services in a realistic setting.

The Funeral Service Education Program began in January 2026 at WGTC’s Murphy Campus in Waco. During the first semester, generous contributions from A.S. Turner and Sons, Inc., J. Collins Funeral Home, Claude A. McKibben and Sons Funeral Home, and Hightower Funeral Home provided the funding necessary to support the program’s accreditation process.

“In Bremen, Waco, Tallapoosa and our other communities surrounding the Murphy campus, we have several stakeholders that we have been fortunate to work with,” Mills said. “We already have two students that have been hired and are working in funeral homes. I am looking forward to bringing on more collaboration with community members because the more that they are involved, the more opportunities that can be created for our students.”

Funeral Service Education is a competitive selection program that accepts students for fall and spring cohorts. Applications for the spring 2027 cohort are open through Sept. 1.  

For more information about WGTC’s Funeral Service Education program and future updates, visit https://www.westgatech.edu/funeral-service-education/