Online Courses
Have you always yearned to learn the answers to questions such as- From what country did my ancestors come?
- How long have we been in America?
- Was there a Revolutionary War or Civil War veteran in my family?
- When did the family farm or business begin?
If you are curious about your family history, NGS online courses will teach you about resources that answer the above questions and more. You can work at your own pace, mostly in the comfort of your own home. (Some assignments may require a trip to your local library or courthouse.)
Online interactive courses are completed on the NGS website. Each course consists of:
- Objectives that identify what you will learn from the lesson
- A screen-by-screen presentation of content with links to other websites
- A glossary of terms and abbreviations used in the lesson
- A resource center consisting of web links, online and printed resources, online records, fact sheets and other valuable material
A certificate is awarded to students who complete an interactive online course.
The newest offerings in the American Genealogy Special Topics Series consist of lessons, examples, exercises, and self-graded exams. The course is downloaded as a PDF file that can be viewed or printed on a home computer. Students work independently and check their work with an answer key that immediately follows each self-test. Because these downloadable courses are self-graded, no certificate of completion is awarded.
Requirements & Fees
You will need a computer and Internet connection to access NGS online courses. Each online course is $50, but NGS members receive a discounted price of $35. Join today to receive the member price for courses.What’s Available?
The following NGS online courses are listed in a logical order of progression. You might test the waters with the free-to-members Family History Skills online course and then decide to take the in-depth NGS Home Study Course on CD or the other courses below. Check back regularly for new online course offerings.
Family History Skills
Learn the basics or refresh your skills in family history research with this online self-paced, self-graded course available only to NGS members—free of charge.
Using Census Records in Genealogical Research
Discover and interpret the wealth of personal information found in the U.S. census that has been taken every ten years since 1790.Special Federal Census Schedules
Learn facts about special groups such as slaves, Native Americans, veterans, the handicapped, farmers and manufacturers and their products—even the deceased.Transcribing, Extracting, and Abstracting Genealogical Records
To understand records, researchers must know how to read and accurately record what they find in documents and hand-written manuscripts. This course provides those skills.American Genealogy Special Topics Series: Working with Deeds*
Researchers often find answers to numerous family history questions in an ancestor’s property sale and purchase transactions. This self-graded course provides an understanding of deeds, their unique terminology, and the meaning of the transactions.American Genealogy Special Topics Series: Introduction to Religious Records*
Researchers often find answers to numerous family history questions in records kept by religious institutions. This course presents instruction on how to find and use these valuable records.American Genealogy Special Topics Series: Social Security Sleuthing*
This course familiarizes you with the history of the Social Security Act in the United States and how this determines when and where someone may have obtained a Social Security number. It also briefly describes the Social Security numbering system and the clues a number may hold for a genealogist.* Because the American Genealogy Special Topics Series are self-graded from an answer key in the course materials, no certificate of completion is issued.
