Apprentice Qualifications

An apprentice is someone who is learning the profession of funeral service under the direct supervision of a trained licensed funeral director and embalmer. An apprentice gains hands-on experience by participating in funeral arrangements, funeral services, and embalming. An apprentice must register with the Board of Funeral Services Examiners and must meet the following qualifications:

  • The apprentice candidate must possess a high school diploma or GED.
  • The apprentice candidate must have completed ONE of the following academic studies at an ACCREDITED college or university.*
  • 60 semester hours of college credit
  • 90 quarter hours of college credit
  • Associate Degree
  • The apprentice candidate must have been accepted for employment as an apprentice in a licensed West Virginia funeral establishment.
  • The apprentice candidate must have made arrangements with a licensed funeral director/embalmer to act as supervisor.

*An accredited college or university may include state colleges, state universities, and community colleges. Vocational schools or business schools DO NOT qualify.

To obtain applications and forms, click the pdf icon to the right of the desired documents. To view the Fees Schedule, click the link below.

TO APPLY FOR AN APPRENTICE LICENSE, CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Possess a high school diploma or equivalent

  2. Have an associate degree from an accredited college or university or have successfullycompleted not less than sixty semester hours or ninety quarter hours of academic work in anaccredited college or university toward a baccalaureate degree with a declared major field asevidenced by a transcript submitted for evaluation. NOTE: This is a separate requirementfrom degrees obtained at mortuary school.

    Undergraduate work must be completed PRIOR to entering mortuary school andPRIOR to applying for an apprentice license unless the person holds a Bachelor’s in MortuaryScience from an accredited school of mortuary science in which case undergraduate work is notrequired.

  3. Upon satisfactory proof the educational requirements are met, the person may begin theapprentice program which consists of completing a one-year course of apprenticeship under thesupervision of a licensed embalmer and funeral director actively under which the apprenticeshall have taken an active part in the operation of embalming not less than thirty-five deadhuman bodies and an active part in conducting not less than thirty-five funeral services.

    The applicant has the option of attending mortuary school prior to becoming anapprentice during which time he/she shall have received a diploma of graduation which requiresas a prerequisite to graduation the completion of a course of study not less than twelve months'duration, and which said school of mortuary science must be one accredited by the Americanboard of funeral service education, inc., and duly approved by the board. Applicants areprohibited from serving an apprenticeship and attending mortuary school at the same time.

Reciprocal licenses may be issued to a person licensed in another state when such license was granted after completion of educational requirements substantially equivalent to those required in this state and which was granted after passing, in that state, an examination that is substantially equivalent to the examination required in this state.

Applications and Forms
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FEES SCHEDULE

 

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