The Advanced Skills in Genealogy course can be started at any time, as it is an online, self-paced course. Students have eighteen months to complete the entire course, or nine months to complete each of the two parts if purchased separately. Students can request an extension if they need additional time. To request extra time prior to your course expiration date, please contact the course administrator at [email protected].

We recommend taking the NGS Foundations in Family History course or having the equivalent education and experience. There are three required textbooks for the course, which are listed on the Advanced Skills in Genealogy page. They are not included with tuition.

The course is based on records in the United States. The methodology is applicable to research in other countries.

Yes, all videos contain closed captioning.

The certificate is awarded to all students who complete all eighteen (18) assignments in the course and receive a grade of 75% or better on each of the ten graded assignments.

Although the Advanced Skills in Genealogy course will help you learn about the methods, skills, and standards for certification, NGS is not a licensing body. Therefore, no formal genealogical credential or accreditation is implied. Refer to the websites of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® (BCG) or the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) for their policies or standards for certification or accreditation.

The optional Zoom sessions will be held bi-monthly. There will be a daytime and an evening session to accommodate those with varied schedules and in different time zones. Zoom sessions will not be recorded but a summary will be posted as an announcement in Canvas.

Each student will be assigned a volunteer mentor who is an experienced genealogist to grade their assignments and provide feedback for each part of the course. Mentors use rubrics to grade assignments that NGS publishes for the student to consult in the course materials.

If you have a question about the Advanced Skills in Genealogy course that is not addressed here, please send an email to [email protected].