Boston University offers two online genealogy courses:

1. Genealogical Principles Course
   • 7 weeks
   • Tuition: $995
   • Recommended time commitment: 7-10 hours/week
2. Certificate in Genealogical Research
   • 15 weeks
   • Tuition: $2,695
   • Recommended time commitment: 15-30 hours/week

In 2019 I enrolled in the 7-week Genealogical Principles Course. If you’re considering taking this course, here’s an idea of what to expect.

There were three required texts for this course:

1. The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy, 3rd Edition by Kimberly Powell
2. Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 2nd Edition
3. Genetic Genealogy in Practice by Blaine T. Bettinger & Debbie Parker Wayne*

*The course now requires The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, 2nd Edition by Blaine T. Bettinger.

The 7-week course was broken out into the following seven modules:

• Module 1: Foundations
• Module 2: Mining Records
• Module 3: Discovering Answers
• Module 4: Proof in a Narrative Structure
• Module 5: Reliable Resources
• Module 6: Planning and Reporting
• Module 7: Genetic Genealogy Concepts, Standards, and Ethics

Before the class begins students receive a detailed syllabus with biographies of the instructors, lists of the resources that will be used in class, details for each module, information about grading, and a schedule of what a typical week should be like for an online student.

Each module consists of numerous reading assignments, not only from the required textbooks but from other sources as well. Students are also expected to respond to 1-3 discussion questions on the class message boards, in addition to responding to other students’ postings. There’s also a combination of assessments and assignments, many of which consist of answering a list of short-answer questions.

Module 1: Foundations discussed starting genealogy research, the genealogical proof standard, and properly citing sources, among other topics. The first assignment was to create a family group sheet for a particular celebrity’s family using specified sources, including census records. I’ve become very familiar with federal census records after using them in my research for several years, and I really enjoyed completing the first assignment.

Module 2: Mining Records primarily discussed immigration records. Much of the information focused on late 19th and early 20th century immigration records. I learned a great deal during this week, as I did during each week of class, but since all of my ancestors had emigrated to the United States before 1880, I had hoped I would learn more about earlier immigration records. This module introduced me to stevemorse.org, which is a great website that makes finding genealogy records easier by giving researchers different search options. We used this website to complete the week’s assignment, which was a series of short-answer questions.

Module 3: Discovering Answers focused on wills and the probate process. I recall modules 2 and 3 as being more difficult and time-consuming than most of the other modules.

Module 4: Proof in a Narrative Structure was one of my favorite weeks of the course. We read two case studies that have been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. I subscribe to this journal and I really enjoy reading its articles. One of the instructors thoroughly analyzed one of these case studies for us. The process demonstrated how the five components of the Genealogical Proof Standard were applied to the publication.

Module 5: Reliable Resources consisted of three lessons that covered a wide range of topics. The first lesson included an article about African American research. In lesson two we learned about research logs, and taking effective notes. The third lesson covered timelines and researching with various legal documents.

Module 6: Planning and Reporting, like Module 5, was separated into three lessons. The first lesson included note taking and transcription. Research planning was the focus of the second lesson, and the third lesson covered various Genealogy Standards for writing. One assignment was to create a research plan based on a subject and research question that the instructors provided.

Module 7: Genetic Genealogy Concepts, Standards, and Ethics concluded the course with a lesson on genetic genealogy. Before I took this course, I had helped my grandparents complete Ancestry DNA tests, and I had attended an introductory seminar on the subject, but I really didn’t understand how it worked. The assigned textbook for this module was very clear, and it gave me a basic understanding of the three types of genetic genealogy tests: Autosomal DNA, Y-DNA, and Mitochondrial DNA, and the advantages and limitations of each one. We had some great additional reading assignments for this module which gave examples of the surprising results that can sometimes come from DNA tests.

When I took the course, the syllabus estimated that each module required 10-16 hours of time each week, and I think that was an accurate estimate. The website now estimates 7-10 hours per week, which leads me to suspect that they have relaxed some of the course requirements. I completed this course while working a full-time job, which is certainly manageable if you’re willing and able to make the commitment. I would typically try to complete much of the reading assignments throughout the week, and I would devote much of my time on Saturday mornings and afternoons to complete that week’s assignments. However, one student enrolled in my class complained on a message board about the course load and that they were having trouble keeping up with the work.

I sometimes became frustrated with the class and thought that the grading was a bit harsh for what was supposed to be an introductory course. I expected and hoped that this class would challenge me, however, there were times I felt that the expectations were not always clearly communicated. For example, one assignment’s instructions stated that we had to list sources, but we didn’t need to worry about citing it perfectly, since that wasn’t the object of the assignment, but when I received my grade, my citation was critiqued.

This course challenged me and made me a much better and more diligent researcher, and it is taught by incredibly skilled and knowledgeable instructors. This course honed my critical thinking skills, and it gave me a different perspective on records and record collections by stressing the importance of thoroughly examining records and educating yourself about the record types you’re using. I would definitely recommend this course to other researchers, as long as they are serious and passionate about genealogy research.

For anyone who does sign up for the course, I suggest getting started on the reading materials as soon as you can. They are made available to students before the class begins, and this is just like a college level class, the readings are significant, so get a head-start on the material as soon as you can. I also recommend signing up early, because you may be eligible for an early bird discount, or to receive free books for the course. Members of certain groups, such as the National Genealogical Society and Association of Professional Genealogists, can also save 10% off tuition. Click here for a full list of the groups that offer the discount.