Death is a universal experience among humans. Most experts in the field of grief and bereavement categorize the American society as a death-denying culture since many individuals are uncomfortable discussing issues related to death and dying and often go to great lengths to avoid dealing with these issues. The Death and Dying Theme will provide students with an opportunity to explore death and dying issues in a structured, safe forum. A significant outcome for a student who selects this theme will be better understanding of loss when confronted with the death of a loved one, colleague, client or acquaintance. The program prepares students for intelligent participation in public dialogues that consider the issues of human living and responsible action in local, national, and global communities.
Death is one of the relatively few experiences shared by all humankind.
In addition, there will be numerous deaths of coworkers and other acquaintances. Also, with great frequency, individuals are exposed to issues related to death and dying via the media. A major goal of the Death and Dying Theme is to provide a safe forum in which students can explore death and dying issues. With this acquired information, it is hoped that the student who elects to complete the Death and Dying Theme will, when faced with the death of a loved one or friend, be better able to understand and to cope with what has happened. These topics, and similar controversial topics related to death and dying, will be explored in the Death and Dying Theme.