Home Study Course in United States Genealogy
National Genealogical Society Offers Distance Education
Oct 18, 2009
The National Genealogical Society offers several short and inexpensive online courses, as well as their flagship course, American Genealogy, provided via a CD to be used at home.
National Genealogical Society Course in U.S. Genealogy
This class teaches the basics of genealogical research -- something both beginning and intermediate genealogists can use. The approach is systematic and comprehensive, and includes hands-on experiences. Students can opt to have their assignments graded, or may choose the non-graded option. Those who complete all sixteen lessons in the graded version of the course receive a certificate.
Students read course materials on CD, and may submit their assignments either by postal mail or email. Graders for the course are drawn from those who have successfully completed the graded course, and many are well-known as genealogical writers and speakers.
Course Syllabus
The class includes lessons on analyzing family stories and legends, understanding vital records and census lists, finding and using naturalization records and passenger lists, and reading land documents and probate records. The class also includes lessons on researching in courthouses, churches, cemeteries, and libraries, along with what useful materials a student might find at home or in the care of family members. Lessons on military records, immigration, and migration within the United States are also part of the course.
Those opting for the graded lessons will prepare a pedigree chart and a family group sheet, plan an interview, draft a letter and a query, and obtain census and vital records and write source citations for them. Students will visit a church to report on genealogical sources, and will evaluate gravestones and cemetery records. They will visit local repositories to analyze probate documents and land grant records, draw a metes and bounds plat, and abstract a will. Other reports and quizzes are part of the assignments.
Students may set their own timetable for completing lessons, as long as they finish within a year of the start date. although a six-month extension may be granted if needed. The assignments are varied, and require trips to local repositories, but the choice of subject is left to the students. Most students select their own families to research, and may make significant progress on their own research during the class.
Other Educational Options for Genealogists
The NGS home study course is the most comprehensive and accessible home study class available for United States records and research, but there are many other options for genealogical education. Genealogy classes are increasingly being offered at community colleges and various universities, and genealogical societies often hold local workshops. Week-long sessions such as the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford, and the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR) in Washington, D.C., provide in-depth coursework that their graduates value highly.
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