Fellow in Thanatology (FT)

Fellow in Thanatology (FT) is an advanced professional certification for thanatology professionals. It recognizes practitioners and educators in the discipline of death, dying, and bereavement who have met specified knowledge requirements measured through a standardized testing process and who demonstrate advanced levels of competency in teaching, research and/or clinical practice through a professional portfolio.

An Advanced Certification Task Force of experts from the ADEC membership with advice from members of associated organizations developed the FT credential and the criteria for the professional portfolio.

Eligibility Criteria

• Master's/doctorate degree
• Five years of experience in the field of thanatology
• Two letters from a supervisor or colleague familiar with the candidate’s work
• Verification of education and experience
• The foundation level Certification (CT) in ADEC*
• A minimum of 12 units on the professional portfolio with complete documentation

* Individuals who have not earned the CT certification may apply for Fellow in Thanatolgy but are required to successfully pass the CT exam before they will be awarded the FT certification.

For more information or to prepare for the Certification Exam if you have previously earned the Certification in Thanatology, read the FT Handbook (with CT) for more information. If you haven't yet earned Certification in Thanatology, read the FT Handbook (without CT) for more information.

For additional certification information, including fees for CT, FT and recertification, contact:
ADEC's Administrative Manager at adec@adec.org.

Updated: September 24, 2008