Students, community invited to explore Mortuary Science building at Nov. 15 open house

Wayne State University's Mortuary Science BuildingWayne State University’s Mortuary Science building will host its annual open house from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15. Students, alumni and the community at large are invited to tour the four-floor facility at 5439 Woodward Avenue, which is home to advanced teaching and research resources in embalming, pathology, anatomy, restorative arts and clinical laboratory science. The event is free and open to the public.

Currently, the building houses programs in clinical laboratory science, mortuary science, pathologists’ assistant and forensic investigation, all of which are offered through Wayne State’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS).

“These programs have decades-long histories and rich traditions here in Detroit, and most are unique in the state of Michigan,” said Mark Evely, interim chair of the EACPHS Department of Applied Health Sciences and director of the mortuary science program.

When it began in 1939, Wayne State’s mortuary science program was one of the first of its kind. Today, it is still the only accredited undergraduate degree program leading to state licensure in Michigan, and it is one of only three Carnegie Research Universities core-based accredited programs nationwide. An online mortuary science degree path was recently added; it is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) and offers in-state tuition rates to online students.

WSU’s clinical laboratory science bachelor’s degree program is the oldest in Michigan, set to celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2019.

“Clinical laboratory science is one of the fastest growing health care careers,” Evely said. “It has been estimated that roughly 70 percent of doctors’ medical decisions are informed by lab results, making these often behind-the-scenes professionals critical to patient care.”

Wayne State is also the only university in Michigan to offer the master’s in pathologists’ assistant and post-baccalaureate certificate in forensic investigation.

Reservations for the open house are not required, and free parking will be available in Lot 33, located on Woodward Avenue between Palmer and Ferry streets.

For more information about the Nov. 15 open house or any of the programs mentioned above, contact Evely at 313-577-1202.

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