American Genealogical Studies

Home American Genealogical Studies (AGS)

American Genealogical Studies (AGS)

The AGS Series is no longer available to new students, but current students in the series may purchase the additional courses they need to complete the program and earn their certificate in American Genealogical Studies. This page is provided for current AGS students to register for those follow-on courses in the series.

AGS Series Overview

The American Genealogical Studies series of courses were designed to give family history researchers easy access to courses that progressively prepares them to accomplish their family history research goals. Developed by certified genealogists and professional educators, AGS courses are self-paced, independent study courses. The courses are built in the cloud with a Learning Management System called Canvas, an eLearning software used by academic institutions.

NGS has led the way in eLearning in the field of genealogy. Students of every level and ability can chose the best time to study and learn from home, completing courses when and where it works for them. Our online courses have no set time or date for attendance. They are geared toward individuals who have varied schedules that may include their work, volunteer pursuits, or family obligations. You prioritize your time management and your learning, so your course work can be scheduled at your own pace.

The American Genealogical Studies series is a multicourse track that covers different types of genealogical topics and research skills, for those just starting, or those looking to build on skills they have already acquired.

Course Structure and Certificate

Within each course are modules providing instruction, reading, examples, web links, self-correcting quizzes, bibliographies, glossaries, and written graded assignments. Upon satisfactory completion of all four levels of the AGS series, NGS will issue a certificate in American Genealogical Studies to the student.

The courses available are:

  • AGS: The Basics is no longer available for purchase.

  • AGS: Guide to Documentation and Source Citation is a course for anyone who wants to understand the principles and practice of citation for common sources such as books, periodicals, and a variety of filmed and digitized records.

  • AGS: Beyond the Basics is a course covering various genealogical records and research techniques; the student also develops skills in collecting, interpreting, analyzing, and evaluating genealogical information. Each lesson has a written assignment.

  • AGS: Branching Out is the fourth course in the AGS series. In this course you continue to expand your family research knowledge and hone your skills in writing genealogical reports and citing numerous genealogical documents.

Letters of Completion and Certificate in American Genealogical Studies

Each person who successfully completes each course in the American Genealogical Studies series receives a letter of completion. Letters are mailed out once per month. If you complete the course by the 20th of the month, we mail your letter out at the end of that month. Once you have completed all four courses, you will receive a certificate in NGS’s American Genealogical Studies.