International Institute of Genealogical Studies

Optional Print Course Material: Preserve Your Family History Documents and Heirlooms

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

You have taken the time to locate and acquire your family’s precious documents, photos, and heirlooms. Now take the time to protect, curate, and share them for future generations to enjoy. 

This course discusses how to preserve your family history items to minimize damage. The procedures for encapsulating documents and photographs will be explored, as well as other methods to protect your family heirlooms. You are your family’s archivist, and family history requires you to do more than research, you must also preserve material items of the past. This course will demonstrate the techniques and tools you need to do just that. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Planning a Fabulous Family Reunion

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Planning a family reunion is often something you have been thinking or dreaming of for years. But like most projects, at a certain point you must stop dreaming and start doing.

Let's not kid ourselves, planning a family reunion is a big job. It will take lots of hours, and many times you will wonder why you ever dreamed of this.

Yes, you can do this, just don't try to do it by yourself. If you've assembled a good planning team, your family reunion will be a success. This course will give you lots of ideas and suggestions to make the planning of your reunion a little easier.

Genealogy has been known to become a passion or become addictive. Well the enthusiasm in planning a family reunion is infectious, if you have the excitement, you will pass it on.

Course Length: 5 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Planning a Research Trip Including Salt Lake City

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

As genealogists and family historians we all dream of one day walking the land of our ancestors or going to ‘genealogy heaven’ in Salt Lake City. You can make those dreams come true, with sound practical advice. Researching away from home, especially abroad, can be productive and rewarding if adequate preparations are made. This course gives practical advice on travel, accommodation, what to take, and what to expect in libraries, archives, and other repositories. You need to be fully prepared to accomplish your research objectives. The second half of the course concentrates on the world’s largest genealogical library, the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. It is your guide in the planning process, familiarizes you with how the FamilySearch Library is organized, and gives all the practical tips anyone can use to get the most from their research trip.

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Irish Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course is an introduction to the first two centuries of family history research in Ireland, covering both Northern Ireland, which remains part of Britain, and the Republic of Ireland (Eire), which has been independent since 1922. The emphasis is in doing the research yourself from wherever you happen to live, rather than merely covering the resources available in Ireland. Irish records are available worldwide if you know where to look, and this course will show you where they are and how to utilize them.

Consideration is given to the difficulties inherent in Irish research, key items in Irish history and geography and to emigration (the Irish Diaspora). Major original sources covered are civil registration, census (including substitutes where this is lacking), church registers and probate. These are followed by discussions of the usefulness of occupational records, locating research already done or in progress and a brief guide to resources for planning a genealogy research trip to Ireland.

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Jewish Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Researching a Jewish ancestor may seem a daunting task especially when you consider the Holocaust and the incredible destruction of lives, synagogues, and cemeteries in Europe. You may ask “why should I even try?” Then there is the myth that immigrants had their names changed at Ellis Island that leads us to believe that our Jewish ancestors are nearly impossible to research. All of these things scare off many from researching their Jewish family and discovering that there actually is a great deal of information “out there.” Researching Jewish ancestors is challenging, but with the research techniques provided in this course it will be revealed that much information is available. 

This course is presented with the assumption that the student may have little to no first-hand knowledge of Jewish ancestry. At the completion of the course the student will have a solid foundation to research Jewish ancestors and will understand the types of records available. This course will start with an introduction to the history of the Jewish people to better understand the challenges of this research. We will then get a basic understanding of the languages, dates, and name conventions of this unique group. Immigration patterns of the Jews as they came to North America are a valuable component to ultimately discovering their origins and the resources to assist in this research will be presented. Jewish life and record sources as they settled can provide additional clues to their origins and experiences as they came to America and Canada. Effective research strategies for finding Jewish ancestors will be presented. Lastly, the course includes an extensive discussion on resources available to pursue the genealogy of Jewish ancestors. 

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters - Tracing Women

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Our female ancestors played significant roles in history. Yet, researching and writing about the women in our families can be a daunting task. If you have hit a brick wall in the quest to find information about your female ancestors, this course covers strategies and key sources to assist you with your research and show you how to document “her” story. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Writing the Genealogist's Memoir

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

As a genealogy researcher for your family, you can enhance the results of your work, as well as realize personal satisfaction and value, by creating a memoir to enlighten those who read it. Your memoir can tell them about the story behind your research: your inspiration, motivation and/or interest in genealogy; your process; “aha” moments; roadblocks and disappointments; and successes. The professional genealogist or personal historian can also offer a service to help clients create such a companion piece for their family trees or histories. 

This course will explore the importance and value of memoir, a method for accomplishing one, and special issues to consider. Exercises will offer practical application of the material and opportunities to work on writing your memoir. The course will focus on writing as a method but will explore other options, such as audio and video, as well. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Electronic Resources: Organize and Publish a Family Tree

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course is designed to give students a wide view of genealogical organization systems available. Geared toward making a sound decision and investment in one’s genealogical software, this course will include cloud-based systems, online trees, desktop software, as well as a brief survey of alternative programs and systems for organizing and displaying genealogical research. 

Optional Print Course Material:Research: Social History

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This introduction to social history will provide examples and resources of subject matter from many areas of interest to the social historian. Rather than being a comprehensive discussion of social history, the material is intended to inspire your research into the lives of your people and the times and places they lived in. Your ancestors, their families, and the society they lived in may be different from the examples given but only by researching the specifics of their lives, their communities, the world around them and the forces and influences that shaped their environment can you begin to know who they were. 

NOTE: Assignments in this course will require the student to do social history research on the Internet and/or at a local library. How in-depth the research will be, depends on the student’s own personal interest on the subject. 

Course Length: 8 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: South African Ancestors Including Military Records

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course covers the history of South Africa, genealogical sources and repositories for searching your ancestors. General genealogical topics covered include birth, marriage, death, church records, cemeteries, newspapers, and more. Also included is discussion on online databases. Research examples are provided to give guidance in various types of research projects. 

In addition, the course looks at major wars and conflicts, and the records they produced. Starting with the Boer Wars, World Wars I and II, and ending at the Korean War. In particular, records of the South African Constabulary, South African Defence Force, South African Air Force and the South African Police are covered. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Creating interesting family history stories involves adding details of your ancestor’s life that go beyond just names and dates. What was their occupation? What religious and political beliefs did they hold? Did they serve in the military, and why did they do what they did? This is an interesting way to start fleshing out the bones of your genealogy and to make your family history come alive. 

In this course we will explore how to find and incorporate information about your ancestor’s life to how to write and publish your family history story. Not sure how to go about writing the story of your ancestor? We cover the very beginning steps of writing to the final product. 

Optional Print Course Material: Google for the Wise Genealogist

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Everyone knows that Google is a powerful search engine, but for genealogists Google provides so much more. This course will explore Google programs and how they can be used to research family history. You will be introduced to a variety of Google products, how to navigate those products and specifically how to use them to further your genealogical research. Google provides free software, digitized books and articles, mapping, access to newspapers, translation tools and more. Learn how to use Google for finding information, creating and sharing documents, groups, websites and blogs as well as using it to map your ancestors. Learn about popular Google products like Google search, Google Maps and Google Books as well as the not so well-known products like Google Bookmarks, Google Alerts, Google Scholar, Google Groups and Google Sites. Google is the best non-genealogy, genealogy website there is! 

Course Length: 9 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Connecting Family: Online and Virtually

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Computers and the Internet have revolutionized the way families communicate. This course will highlight a few specific ways to use your computer and the Internet to build and strengthen family ties. Topics will include using multimedia techniques to preserve and share family photographs, building an online family tree, creating virtual family history tours/videos, creating online family newsletters, digitizing scrapbooks, publishing an online family history and creating and maintaining family websites, using communication tools such as Skype, and using social media (blogs, Facebook, and Twitter) to find long lost cousins and stay in touch with relatives.

Optional Print Course Material: Social Media Tools for the Wise Genealogist

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Genealogy has come a long way from the days when networking meant writing a letter and waiting for a reply. With the advent of social networking and social media tools you can network with researchers worldwide, find distant relations, curate content, and share your research. This course will provide you with just some of the tools to help you take advantage of Web 2.0. 

Most people automatically associate social networks with websites like Facebook, Twitter, and even The International Institute’s own GenealogyWise. We will explore these websites and others that help you share your family tree, family stories, and even your personal library. The course demonstrates that the concept of social media is all about sharing, education, mobility and yes, networking. Each module concludes with recommended resources that provide the student with additional learning tools to get the most out of their social media experience. 

Course Length: 9 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: U.S. Records Using Ancestry Including DNA Strategies

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

An overview of the five essential groups of records to jumpstart your genealogy! 

NOTE: Access to Ancestry is a requirement by the student to be able to complete this course.

The use of proper search techniques and Ancestry databases will assist you in obtaining your research goals. This course will introduce very important groups of records to the genealogist: Censuses, Vital, Military, Newspapers & Publications, and Immigration records. 

Each module will provide a brief description of the record group, describing how to search for the record, what information is contained within the document, recording the information and its genealogical importance. The last module will consist of three case studies, with exercises following a family through the various record groups.

During your genealogical research project, no record group should stand alone! Although the modules can stand alone as learning tools, at the completion of this course, the researcher will be able to better understand how the various groups of records work together to provide the answers to your research quest. It is normal when researching that one record group leads you to another. The combination of the two record groups will then lead you to the third group of records, and so on. By reading the course materials, and completing the exercises and assignments, this course will teach you the importance of combining the vast amount of information available in various groups of records to develop a much more interesting family history.

Remember, this course is only an introduction to census, vital, military, newspaper and immigration records that are available on Ancestry. Additional courses are available for a more in-depth study of each of these record groups. Online virtual meetings are also provided, enabling you to ask questions of your instructor.

Ancestry has many tools that will assist the researcher in developing and recording their family history. You should have a good understanding of the tools prior to starting this course.

Course Length: 8 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: U.S. Great Lakes Ancestors, 211 pages.

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

The Great Lakes region of the United States is an area with a rich and diverse history. This course will focus on generalized and locality specific resources for six states in this area―Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. These six states once formed, in part, the first possession of the United States known as the “Northwest Territory.” A summary of each state’s history and geography will be provided, as well as tips on where to find important genealogical resources (such as census, land, probate, and vital records). A brief discussion of important Canadian records and suggestions for advanced research techniques will also be included.  

Optional Print Course Material: Research: Mayflower Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

You have traced your genealogy back to New England and suspect you may have Mayflower ancestry. Or perhaps you have actually traced a family line back to a Mayflower passenger. This course will cover various aspects of conducting Mayflower research and how to properly document the line by utilizing New England original and derivative records as well as sources specific to Mayflower research. 

We will first discuss the story of our Pilgrim ancestors and, believe me, their story is a fascinating one! From their religious persecution in England, to their exile in Holland and finally, their voyage to the wilderness of the New World, their determination, courage and abiding faith is an inspiration to us all. 

The resources available to you in order to trace back and/or document your existing lineage, whether for your own satisfaction or for membership in the Mayflower Society will be fully explored. We will discuss family genealogies, town histories and New England vital records. There are libraries, societies and family associations you should know about and specific genealogical journals, websites, and social media tools which can make your journey a whole lot easier. We will discuss the role of DNA testing to prove a lineage and you will be provided with a selected reading list so that you may delve more deeply into the historical aspect if you so choose. 

If you have ever wondered about the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, with headquarters in Plymouth, Massachusetts and what it’s all about, now is your chance to learn. We will cover its history, its objectives and its accomplishments. The society has definite documentation requirements for membership; these will be detailed as well as how and where to apply for membership. 

Course Length: 6 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: U.S. Midwestern States Ancestors

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding of some of the historical events that occurred in each state, especially events that shaped the state’s history, boundaries, laws, records and other items. The states included in this course were all part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which were: Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Each state is unique in its geographical formation, social attitudes, political structure, ethnicity, industry and historical records. The modules included are aimed at giving researchers information to aid understanding of these states individually and to provide tools for researching family history, not only in terms of the individual, but also in their broader social context. 

Course Length: 7 weeks

Optional Print Course Material: Research: U.S. Fraternal Organizations

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Researching your ancestor’s involvement in fraternal organizations can be a very rewarding aspect of genealogy. You may learn a great deal about the individual, or you may learn a great deal about the community they resided in, or both. The research can lead you through a variety of different elements of their life, and add color to the basic timeline of an individual’s life span. During this course, we will discuss a variety of topics including the basics of this type of research, the social impacts of these organizations, and the hazards you may encounter along the way. 

Their impact on the history of the United States, and truly across the globe, cannot be overlooked. The impact fraternal organizations have had on their individual members—our ancestors—must also not be overlooked in a thorough investigation of a family history. 

Course Length: 8 weeks