Diploma in Funeral Directing Level

The NZ Diploma in Funeral Directing (Level 5) supports professional standards for the funeral services industry. You learn to conduct yourself professionally by applying the code of industry conduct to funeral directing services. You also study how to communicate funeral service options with bereaved families and whānau, work with stakeholders, and integrate the history and philosophy of funeral directing into your processes.

You learn to identify bereaved families’ needs, wishes, and cultural expectations for funeral activities. You also study how to coordinate funeral activities within legal and ethical requirements, and how to work safely by managing health and safety for yourself, others, and the environment within the funeral directing industry. The qualification is delivered through online study with Open Polytechnic: you work through online course materials at your own pace between the course start and end dates. There are no scheduled online classes, though some courses may include an in-person component such as practicum, workshops, noho marae, or an exam, and you have support from a course facilitator, a Student Mentor, and the Library and Learning Centre teams.

• Employment as a qualified funeral director