645—101.2(156) Requirements for licensure.
	101.2(1) The applicant shall be eligible to apply for a license to practice mortuary science by the board pursuant to subrule 101.2(2) when the applicant has completed the educational requirements and examination requirements, followed by a completed internship as prescribed below, in the following alphabetical order:
	a. 	Educational qualifications.
	(1)	A minimum of 60 hours of college credit as indicated on the transcript from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a 2.0 or “C” grade point average. The 60 college semester hours shall not include any technical mortuary science course; and
	(2)	A program in mortuary science from a school accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education; and
	(3)	A college course of at least one semester hour or equivalent in current Iowa law and rules covering mortuary science content areas including, but not limited to, Iowa law and rules governing the practice of mortuary science, cremation, vital statistics, cemeteries and preneed services.
	b. 	Examination requirements. The board shall accept a certificate of examination issued by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, Inc., indicating a passing score on both the arts and sciences portions of the examination.
	c. 	Internship requirements as outlined in rule 645—101.3(147,156).
	101.2(2) The applicant shall complete a board-approved application packet. Application forms may be obtained from the board’s Web site (http://idph.iowa.gov/Licensure/Iowa-Board-of-Mortuary-Science/Licensure) or directly from the board office. All applications shall be sent to Board of Mortuary Science, Professional Licensure Division, Fifth Floor, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075.
	a. 	The applicant shall complete the application form according to the instructions contained in the application. If the application is not completed according to the instructions, the application will not be reviewed by the board.
	b. 	Each application shall be accompanied by the appropriate fees payable to the Board of Mortuary Science. The fees are nonrefundable.
	c. 	No application will be considered by the board until official copies of academic transcripts showing the completion of training in a college of mortuary science approved by the board have been sent directly from the school to the board.
	d. 	Licensees who were issued their initial licenses within six months prior to the renewal shall not be required to renew their licenses until the renewal month two years later.
	e. 	Incomplete applications that have been on file in the board office for more than two years shall be:
	(1)	Considered invalid and shall be destroyed; or
	(2)	Maintained upon written request of the candidate. The candidate is responsible for requesting that the file be maintained.
	101.2(3) Foreign-trained funeral directors shall:
	a. 	Provide an equivalency evaluation of their educational credentials by International Educational Research Foundations, Inc., Credentials Evaluation Service, P.O. Box 3665, Culver City, California 90231-3665, telephone (310)258-9451, Web site www.ierf.org, or e-mail at info@ierf.org. The professional curriculum must be equivalent to that stated in these rules. A candidate shall bear the expense of the curriculum evaluation.
	b. 	Provide a notarized copy of the certificate or diploma awarded to the applicant from a mortuary science program in the country in which the applicant was educated.
	c. 	Receive a final determination from the board regarding the application for licensure.
	d. 	Successfully complete a college course of at least one semester hour or equivalent in current Iowa law and rules covering mortuary science content areas including, but not limited to, Iowa law and rules governing the practice of mortuary science, cremation, vital statistics, cemeteries and preneed.
[ARC 3083C, IAB 5/24/17, effective 6/28/17]