Frequently Asked Questions

The International Institute of Genealogical Studies is a year-round trade school allowing you to take courses on your schedule. We do not adhere to quarters or semesters. We are a credit-based system. To earn your credentials, a post nominal in genealogical studies, it takes 40 credits minimum. The full credentials are a combination of 14 Methodology courses, 10-16 country or librarianship courses, and the remainder in electives.

For example:

How to compute required credits for certificates: Looking at and counting the required country records group of courses in your interest area will tell you how many electives to fill into the full 40-course PLCGS credential requirements. Example: Australian has 11 required country record courses added to the 14 Methodology courses means you have 15 electives to choose to finish with 40 credits.

What certificates are available?

Please see our certification page under the Courses tab on the navigation bar where all certificate programs are detailed. They include Methodology, American Records, Australian Records, Canadian Records, DNA and Genetic Genealogy, Eastern European Records, English Records, German Records, Irish Records, Italian Records (Advanced Level in development), Librarianship, Scottish Records (Advanced Level in development), Professional Development.

How many credits and what does it take to graduate?

Each certificate has a set number of credits. Most require at least 40 credits to graduate. Each course is worth 1 credit. 

Graduating students with a PLCGS post nominal will have taken a full certification in Methodology, a specific country certificate (such as Canadian or American), and the remaining credits are electives. 

If you want to combine other certificates, you can strategically expand your skills by using your electives. One of the most popular currently is the American/DNA combination which still equals 40 credits. The Canadian/DNA combination is also very popular and that full PLCGS certification is 41 credits.

Methodology now has 15 credits/courses with the addition of Latin for Genealogists. Anyone who has not completed the Basic and Intermediate levels of Methodology will be required to take Latin for Genealogists as the final Intermediate Methodology course (ME-205) to graduate starting 1 Jan 2025. Anyone who has their Basic AND Intermediate Methodology Certificates prior to 31 Dec 2024 will not have the additional course requirement. But we still suggest it as an elective to enhance your professional career and personal research.

What does PLCGS mean?

PLCGS is the professional post nominal awarded to students that earn a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies. When earned, a letter bestowing your post nominal will be sent to you along with the officially embossed and sealed graduation certificate.

What about older students?

The International Institute of Genealogical Studies is perfect for students of all ages. Whether you're taking courses for personal fulfillment or to start a professional genealogy career, we're here to support your goals.

Official Transcriptions

Please request your official transcript through the office by emailing all details to angie@genealogicalstudies.com. Include the name of the institute requesting the transcript, the name and title of the addressee, and the address. If there's a deadline you must meet, please let us know. For an official transcript, we're required to sign and affix the seal, then send the transcript directly to the responsible party at the other institute requesting your grades. We can send an unofficial to you, but it is not admissible as an official transcript.

Official Transcripts to apply credits from Other Schools?

If you have taken other college or equivalent courses in genealogical studies, you may qualify for those credits to count with IIGS. Send your official student transcript with your courses and grades to the executive director for review. This is a new opportunity if you've taken certain courses that meet our curriculum requirements. Please contact Angie Breidenbach, Executive Director, for more information at 800.580.0165 x1 or email angie @ genealogical studies.com. 

What does Distinction mean?

Finishing a course with Distinction means you have an A- or above. When you continue on to a Masters program with your 40 (or more) credits as a graduate of this trade school, those programs want to see you graduated with Distinction. To graduate with Distinction, you'll need to finish every course with an A- or above. Some may accept one B with a letter of referral. Here's our grading scale.

Can we talk by phone if you're outside the US/Canada?

Yes, many of our staff are on WhatsApp or can schedule a Zoom meeting with you. We'll need your number via the chat app to place the call to you or to give you the right staff person to help you with your course question.

Free Orientation Course 

Join the free Orientation Course to see how the various parts of your online courses work. Student accounts are free and so is the Orientation Course.

When Do Courses Begin? 

When you would like to start. There are a few very interactive courses like Lecturing Skills that require a specific confirmation date in order to plan for your student speaking presentation.

How Do Courses Work?

You can start any day of the month now as a benefit of our new learning platform on Moodle (our new learning management system for courses and grading). Only activate the next course (or courses) you intend to take. Do NOT activate every course in your student briefcase. Once activated, the timer starts ticking to completion. You can also watch the orientation to see how to take a class.

Each course has a set number of modules. Each module in any course is relatively equal to a week. The exam is also considered a module. If a course has 6 modules and an exam, the course will be open for 7 weeks. 

Courses are normally at your own pace from the time a course opens to when it closes, but you also can request instructor assistance via the chat app for a question. See below for more on tutoring and meetings on Zoom to ask direct questions. 

What About Homework Assignments?

Most courses have assignments included in the course material. Generally, assignments count for 30% of the final course grade and the exam counts as 70% of the course grade. We also include video when helpful to assignments. You'll find recorded videos at the bottom of your course and live teaching meetings in your Dashboard with a link to the virtual meeting. We currently use Zoom for live events. Past events will either be in your Dashboard with a video link to watch OR in the course at the bottom section, so all videos are kept together for your viewing in any given course.

• Public assignments are presented inside a “Forum” widget of the course module which other students in that course can read. These are considered a classroom discussion where you interact with other students.

• Private assignments are inside a “Quiz” widget. They’re not readable by other students. Only instructors and admin can read them to check your assignments or assist you with direct questions and tutoring.

All courses and course elements are accessed online at GenealogicalStudies.com, though links to videos will take you to YouTube in private sessions and live teaching meetings are held on Zoom. These are recorded for students if attending live is not possible. Course reading materials are online, inside your course, and downloaded for no additional charge. If you'd prefer to have them printed for you, the print shop can send them for a small fee plus shipping.  

For reading ahead, you may purchase print versions of the course material if you’re a paper person who prefers to take notes physically and are not able to print them yourself.

Can I just order the print materials? No.

If you are not registered in the course prior to ordering course materials, the order will be canceled. ONLY students in the course have access to the course materials online or in print. Order print materials online and they will be shipped to you. Please allow additional time for international orders. US orders are sent media mail rate unless you intentionally choose differently or have spoken with the office. All orders are shipped from Montana.

What about textbooks?

We do have some compulsory reading via textbooks. The list of optional and compulsory materials and books are always listed on the outside description of the course and again inside the course. Both areas have links to the school bookstore and that direct item. The school bookstore is https://GenealogyStore.com and does require an account. But if you create your first purchase through the school site, the account will be automatically created for you. You may visit it independently as well. You'll find school logo wear and gift cards along with course materials and textbooks. Enjoy a t-shirt and show your IIGS school spirit! Need help? The chat app is there as well or call 800.580.0165 x1. 

Do teachers check on us? 

We're highly interactive with students. You can request assistance at any time via the chat app (bottom right corner of any page of the website). If we don’t see a problem, we will not distract you from your studies. If you’re struggling, we encourage you to contact us through the chat app or by phone or by email. We want to help. If we see you’re struggling, we will likely call or email you to ask if all is well, offer help, check in with you. These are not sales calls. They’re student advisory or assistance.

Don’t wait for us to call if you have a question. There are many more of you than of us. We do take students in order of request. We also give personal attention to each student during that time. Then we move to the next request. It’s perfectly fine to request an appointment, too. 

Responses will come during regular school hours, depending on which country the professor or admin lives and works. Main office for student advising is Mon-Fri 9am-530pm Mountain.

How Do I Get My Grades?

Grades are displayed after a course closes or you have completed all assignments and the exam. If you finished a course, and have downloaded all you want from it for your student needs, you may request to have it closed and moved to completion by dropping a note with your name and email in the chat app (bottom right corner on any page of the IIGS website.)

How Do I Remit the Fees? 

Payment may be made by your choice of credit or debit cards or the Shop app, too. By special arrangement, you may also be able to send a USD check. We cannot accept foreign currency checks. Other options like PayPal, direct banking transfer, Square, and payment plans are also available. If you need assistance, please call our office at 1-800-580-0165 x1 or drop a message in the chat app. Be sure to add your name, email, and phone so we can answer and so we can check any account information for you in your student briefcase to give you the correct answer.. Credit card payments are highly secured transactions through Shopify or Square.

Can I pay in my own currency?
Course fees are indicated in US dollars, but your own currency will show once you've entered your billing and shipping address (if different). Most common currencies are available.

 If using check/cheque (only on US banks), or Square you will likely be charged in USD.

Are fees refundable?

Course fees are refundable in the first week after purchase, less a 15% administrative fee, as long as the course has not been accessed. Once you've activated and entered the course, it is no longer refundable. If you have purchased the course reading materials, and it has been delivered to you, there is no refund available as you will have all the course information at hand.

You may transfer to the same course in future course date at no charge before, during, or up to 14 days after a course closes. Only the incomplete course is affected. If you experience a family need, work conflict, or life complication that will interfere with your course session, please contact us so we can help you before the 50% fee applies.
You may also put your courses on hiatus by contacting the office at 800.580.0165 or by email angie @ genealogicalstudies.com. Please be sure you receive a response that verifies your hiatus is approved. We have grace and mercy for adults who are adulting. Sometimes life is tough. We want to help you work around unexpected situations so you can continue your courses at a later date when things settle down. But if you don't request an extension or course date change, the 14-day grace period applies. On day 15 you'll need to reregister for 50%. So please call or email your need for an extension or course date change before day 15 when a course incomplete. Let us help you.

How Do I Drop a Course?

Courses cannot be "dropped" but they can be moved into the future if you need help with scheduling. Request to move your course to a future date through the office if your course has already started. Use the chat app in the bottom right corner or call: 800.580.0165 x1.

Can I still move a course if it has gone past the 14-day grace period? 

Yes, absolutely. You'll need to contact the office to pay your 50% reregistration fee and we can help you solve the problem. You'll choose a future date and we'll move the course for you once the fee has been paid. No need to pay full price to reregister and if you have completed homework, you may be able to start where you left off if the course has not experienced an update while you were away. If the course has undergone an update, your assignments may be removed so you can access the updated content properly.

What if I need help with assignments or projects?

The International Institute of Genealogical studies offers course virtual meetings regularly taught by institute staff and guest speakers, 30-minute personal tutoring sessions for a fee, mentoring for personal projects for a small fee determined by the project. You may also attend a course-specific scheduled Zoom Virtual Meeting found on your Calendar Dashboard. If there isn't a teaching time close enough for your personal need, please drop a note with your name, email, and phone in the chat app so we can answer your questions. You may also watch previously recorded teaching by moving backward through the Calendar to find the topic of your courses.

Privacy Policy:

We do not sell your contact information. We do not share it to any other entity unless that offers a functional feature of our website and store. Our goal is to protect you and provide you a safe educational experience. Our bookstore and school sites do need your contact information to process your course purchases, grading records, and to send you anything you need to progress in your education.

We collect only the information needed to assist you with your courses such as your email, phone, address, and IP address. Any sale/invoice is stored so you and we have it for reference. If you make a purchase, we also will charge your credit card, but unless you save it to your account with your access only, we do not store your card. If you give permission for monthly payment plans in your account no credit card is stored for any other use except what you approve, but the system does not allow anyone to view that card. Some 3rd party plugins are used for functions in our website and store. We do not sell or give your information for any other purpose other than to allow the function to work for our site for the purpose of serving our students and customers. 

If you'd like to read the legalese, what they "make" us say,  even though we don't sell or inappropriately share any of your contact info, click here for the legalese privacy policy.

**Frequently Asked Questions and IIGS Policies are subject to change without notice.