Wayne State expands funeral training as Michigan faces director shortage
The university’s only in-state program has grown enrollment to 110 students to meet rising demand from an aging population.
By Sakura Ellis ·
Michigan faces a growing gap in funeral service professionals as experienced directors retire and the state’s aging population increases mortality rates. Wayne State University, the only institution in the state offering a degree in mortuary science, is expanding its training pipeline to address this workforce deficit. The program serves as the primary academic source for new talent across the region's funeral homes.
The university has operated this specific degree program since 1939. Over the past decade, enrollment has more than doubled. Mark Evely, chair of the Department of Applied Health Sciences and director of the program, stated that current enrollment stands at approximately 110 students. This figure represents a sharp increase from the roughly 40 students enrolled ten years ago.
State licensing data provides a baseline for the current industry size. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs reports 1,889 licensed funeral directors operating across 666 funeral homes in the state. Evely noted that while the profession does not appear on the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics 2026 Hot 50 Job Outlook list, hiring challenges persist. Funeral homes struggle to recruit qualified candidates to replace retirees, a trend Evely expects to accelerate as Baby Boomers age.
The program awards a bachelor’s in mortuary science, a credential that meets educational licensure requirements in Michigan and all other states. Graduates typically enter the workforce as funeral directors, though some find positions in medical examiner offices or organ procurement organizations. The university produces 40 to 50 graduates annually. These students complete training through a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on laboratories, and practical placements at licensed funeral homes.
Evely, who graduated from the program in 2004, continues to work as a funeral director in metro Detroit while leading the academic department. He emphasized that the program maintains close ties with industry practitioners through an advisory board that reviews curriculum. This connection ensures that coursework aligns with the operational needs of funeral homes. Evely estimated that approximately 80% of graduates remain in Michigan to work, though the university has limited ability to track every alumnus’s employment status.
Financial incentives play a role in attracting students to the field. Evely said starting salaries for funeral directors typically range from $55,000 to $60,000 annually at smaller firms. Larger companies generally offer higher compensation packages. The program offers both full-time and part-time options, as well as in-person and online learning formats, allowing students who work in the industry or live outside Detroit to participate.
Caroline Orban, a second-year part-time student, exemplifies the program’s approach. She is a Hamilton High School graduate from west Michigan who works part-time at Harry J. Will Funeral Homes in Livonia. Orban credited the combination of classroom theory and practical application for building her confidence. She is currently taking a Restorative Art class where students sculpt clay heads from photographs to master the skill of restoring deceased faces.
Orban initially chose the career after job shadowing at a family-owned funeral home in Allegan. She said the opportunity to apply embalming techniques in a supervised setting proved essential. “You can read something a hundred times.. But at the end of the day, you need to be able to do the embalming to really understand and be able to apply those things,” she said. She advised prospective students to seek internships or work experience to determine if the profession suits them.
