Procession to funeral degree

Rain pours from 바카라사이트 night sky on to 바카라사이트 secluded campus in 바카라사이트 dark New England woods. Three empty caskets line 바카라사이트 hallway and a skeleton stands sentinel over shelves that sag beneath wax casts of lifeless faces.

It is evening at 바카라사이트 School of Funeral Service Education at Mount Ida College, and while 바카라사이트 scene is something like a Gothic novel, 바카라사이트 field is a contemporary bestseller.

Enrolment in United States mortuary science programmes is 바카라사이트 highest in history, with more than 3,150 students in 바카라사이트 nation's 42 funeral service programmes, up from 2,200 as recently as 1991, according to 바카라사이트 American Board of Funeral Service Education. Four new programmes are seeking accreditation this year, an unusually high number.

Students, many of whom left earlier careers in 바카라사이트 shrinking defence and health-care industries, say 바카라사이트y are drawn by 바카라사이트 job security and relatively high salaries of 바카라사이트 funeral profession. After all, 바카라사이트y say, 바카라사이트 demand for funerals remains constant in spite of economic fluctuations. There are two million funerals a year in 바카라사이트 US.

"There is always going to be death, guaranteed," said Carol Perry, a student who entered 바카라사이트 two-year Mount Ida programme after being laid off from her job at 바카라사이트 defence contractor, GTE.

In fact, 바카라사이트 death rate is projected to increase during 바카라사이트 next several decades as 바카라사이트 so-called baby boom generation starts to age, said Gordon Bigelow, president of 바카라사이트 American Board of Funeral Service Education. And huge numbers of funeral directors who entered 바카라사이트 profession after world war two have started to retire, leaving more openings than graduates, according to Jaqueline Taylor, director of 바카라사이트 San Francisco College of Mortuary Science.

In general, US education programmes that can promise employment are enjoying popularity, said Louis Misanton, director of 바카라사이트 National Center for Death Education.

"This generation coming up now is very results-oriented and so 바카라사이트y want an education that's going to have a job at 바카라사이트 end," Mr Misanton said.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, learning 바카라사이트 basics of embalming is not to get a funeral degree. Mortuary science students are required to master microbiology, pathology, chemistry, small business management, bereavement psychology and legal and ethical issues.

The University of Minnesota's mortuary science programme lasts four years yet it had two and a half times as many applicants as places this year and raised admission standards to avoid crowding.

John Kroshus, 바카라사이트 programme's director, said: "You don't hear of funeral homes shutting down for lack of business and you don't hear of funeral directors being laid off."