Genealogy Classes Online

5 Free Genealogy Classes Online!

Have you gotten lost on your family history journey while finding your ancestors? Well, have no fear as I will present to you 5 free genealogy classes online that will get you back on track.

Genealogy Classes Online

These classes are not only suited to the beginner but the seasoned genealogist as well. So, there is something for everybody.

My family history journey!

First I would just like to share with you my family history journey.

I learned about my ancestry from my father. He had many stories that he would recite to me and my brothers.

They got me hooked on genealogy and so I wanted to know more about my ancestors.

Just who were they, where did they come from, and what was their story?!

I took on what research my father had already done and started to build on it. In the beginning, though I didn’t know what I was doing.

I was very fresh and green. I just took what I got and ran with it, wherever it took me.

Following leads and seeing where they leas was the go for me. It was a long, rambling path that I took.

But that was how I learned the subject of genealogy.

Even though my journey was a bit crazy I did learn how to delve into archives, check out genealogy search websites for records, and how to write a family history book, besides other things.

All by doing it on my own.

Why do you need a genealogy course?

But just because I didn’t do a course doesn’t mean that you don’t need it. It just wasn’t there when I first started.

Genealogy classes can help you on your way if you are a complete beginner.

And if you have been researching your family history for many, many years well then you can still learn some nifty tips, tricks, strategies, and techniques as well.

As genealogy is such a varied subject there is just so much that you can learn. You just never stop developing skills along the way.

If you have ever faced a brick wall in your research then a genealogy class may very well help you on your way.

Genealogy classes and courses don’t come cheap.

That is why I have written this post that will give you an overview of the 5 sites that I recommend for you to visit that you can learn from for FREE!

5 Genealogy Classes and Courses Online:

  1. FamilySearch Learning Center
  2. Genealogy.com
  3. UK National Archives Family History
  4. YouTube
  5. National Genealogical Society

Bonus Free Resource

MyHeritage provides many articles, webinars, and how-to videos that are free to check out to its members, as well as anyone visiting their site.

These will surely help you if you have encountered a brick wall during your genealogy journey.

Please check out the MyHeritage Education Center for yourself.

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1. FamilySearch Learning Center

FamilySearch if you do not know already contains the world’s largest collection of free family trees. They are also known for the millions of genealogical records that are held within their databases.

Family Search Website Review!

They have been a go-to place for genealogists since 1999. Not only have they helped people all over the world trace their family roots, but they have helped me trace mine.

So, I can highly recommend FamilySearch.

Their newest addition to the site, the FamilySearch Learning Center contains hundreds of free genealogy classes.

The Learning Center covers a range of different topics that will help not only the beginner but also the more experienced family historian.

Reasons to check out the learning center:

  • Courses are available in several different languages.
  • You can work at your own pace.
  • Most classes include a video lesson.
  • There are course outlines provided.
  • Handouts of the courses are obtainable too.
  • And the courses are entirely free to everyone!

FamilySearch provides in my opinion quality courses. And the best thing about this resource is there is something for everyone.

Check Out FamilySearch Learning Center Now!


2. Genealogy.com

Like FamilySearch, the Genealogy Classes at Genealogy.com cover many different topics.

Genealogy.com

Most of the classes discuss the different kinds of records that the family historian can use for his or her research.

Classes available at Genealogy.com:

  • Census Records
  • Church Records
  • Foreign Sources
  • Immigration
  • Military Records
  • Naturalization Records
  • Newspaper and Periodical Research
  • Place Names and Mapping
  • Vital Records
  • Wills and Probate Records

The courses are all quite fairly short though with no pictures to aid your learning. Even though the courses aren’t lengthy you can still learn a lot from them.

In my opinion, the courses give you an excellent overview of the various genealogical records that are available to you and how you can obtain them.

Check Out Genealogy.com Classes Now!


3. UK National Archives Family History

If you have British ancestry then the courses available at the UK National Archives will be invaluable to you.

These classes are provided as either video webinars or audio files that you can watch or listen to online.

UK National Archives Family History

This UK resource can show you how to trace the different kinds of British records, such as military records and the 1939 Register.

There are several kinds of records that you can get that WILL help you to trace your British roots.

And the UK National Archives Family Section shows you just how to do that.

What I do like about this site is that you can learn from the presenters’ trials and tribulations that they have encountered all while they were researching their family history.

You can learn what they had to go through to learn about their ancestry.

So, you can learn from experience. You do not have to make the same mistakes that they made.

Check Out The National Archives Now!


4. YouTube

Videos are a great way for us to learn, aren’t they? We retain more information by watching videos than by reading text on either a screen or in a book.

YouTube

Plus, we can learn a lot from them in a shorter amount of time than by reading a book.

Besides the many funny cat videos that you may have seen on YouTube, this resource does offer help to the family historian as well.

Just entering the phrase “genealogy how-to” will get you 203,000 results.

Don’t believe me?

Try it for yourself, or hit the link above!

That is a lot of videos for you to sift through. And I don’t expect you to watch every single one of these genealogy videos.

But it does show you that there are many thousands of videos hosted on YouTube that can help you!

But who presents these videos?

  • Genealogy experts and professionals,
  • Genealogy research sites, such as Ancestry,
  • Government repositories, such as the UK National Archives, and
  • Everyday people.

There are people on YouTube from all walks of life who out there giving you genealogy advice. So please check out this resource and see what it can offer you.

And the best part about it is that it is completely free!


5. National Genealogical Society

I have added this course last because the only way that you will get access to the Family History Skills course is if you are already a National Genealogical Society (NGS) member.

National Genealogical Society

If you are then that is great as you can get the course free!

If you are not a member then I suggest you join under the Basic Membership which will cost you $65 annually.

Besides free access to this course, there are also other great benefits to joining the NGS.

Family History Skills

Although technically suited for the genealogy beginner you can also take this course if you want to brush up on your skills.

Who knows what new techniques or tips you will learn by taking the course?

Family History Skills course will show you how to:

  • Discover family and published sources – Learn what you can discover from these valuable sources of information.
  • Record genealogical data – This could be data that you have found online, as well as offline.
  • Access vital records from the 20th and 21st Centuries, and
  • Access vital records from earlier centuries.
  • Search online – Learn how t use finding aids and library catalogs.
  • Cite your sources – Learn the correct way and the importance of citing your resources of information.

The NGS does advise that on completion of this course you WILL NOT obtain a certification of completion.

This is because the NGS is an independent learning course and is not a licensing body.

Check Out Family History Skills Now!

Federal Population Schedules

Discovering your ancestors through censuses is a great way for you to build your family tree.

I should know as I have extensively used this resource to learn about my ancestry.

You will therefore be pleased to learn that the NGS has teamed up with FamilySearch to give you an overview of The Federal Census.

Through the 5 lessons that are offered, you will not only get an overview of the Federal Census but also how to search through and use 1790 up to 1930 censuses.


My Final Thoughts!

As I mentioned at the start of this post genealogy classes can help not only the beginner but the seasoned genealogist as well.

There are other ways that you can get genealogy help, such as asking an expert (either offline or online), books, magazines, forums, message boards, podcasts, and webinars.

Classes are just another useful resource that is available to you.

So, if you are passionate about discovering your ancestry, (and if you do get stuck along the way), then please check out the resources that I have listed above.

What do you think?

If you decide to check out these free genealogy classes then please come back and let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.

Webinars

7 Genealogy Webinars You Need To Check Out!


Thank You and Please Leave A Comment

I hope this genealogy classes online post will direct you to a course that will help you further with your family history research. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.

Please share with family and friends if you think this post will help others by using the social media buttons below.

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5 Free Genealogy Classes Online
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5 FREE genealogy classes online that can help you. Learn from the experts and get the most from your hobby. You'll be so glad to get the help that you need.
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18 thoughts on “5 Free Genealogy Classes Online!”

  1. My uncle did some major research on my father’s family genealogy. A number of years ago I purchased Family Tree Maker and got a subscription to Ancestry.com.

    I didn’t know what I was doing and now I’m afraid I may have messed things up by accepting all the Ancestry connections as I didn’t know how to “prove” what I was seeing. I’m looking for help to determine what to do now.

    Do I need to go back to square one? How can I attach documents to what I have? Should I update my Family Tree Maker 16 or purchase something completely different? Should I get a new Ancestry subscription?

    Help!!

    1. Hi Cynthia,

      It seems that you have created some work for yourself, (depending on how much you have added). Personally I would leave the connections there and work through each branch, and prove/disprove what you have got.

      For me, although daunting as it may be it’s better to work with what you have got and delete what is incorrect. If you were to start again from square one then you will have to re-discover the information that you already have, (and in some cases you may not find that information again).

      Either way it’s up to you.

      Here is a link for you to upload photos and documents to your Ancestry family tree.

      I would keep your version of Family Tree Maker, you’re comfortable with it so I don’t see a reason to change/ I’m still using Family Tree Maker 2012.

      If you want to work through the connections then it would be best to get the Ancestry subscription. Once you are satisfied with your tree then you can cancel your subscription, (although it may be best to wait until just prior to when it expires).

      Hope this helps and all the best.
      Owain

      1. Owain, That was a very helpful link for adding documents and pix. Do you happen to have one for how to work through/prove/disprove what I have. I feel like I may need a tutorial for beginners as I don’t even know how to confirm what I have. Thanks again for any help you can give me.

      2. Thanks for all your help! I am now learning where to find the information I need to learn. I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction!

    1. You’re welcome Connie. When I first started genealogy I learned as I went along. I didn’t have a guide, so I did encounter a few bumps along the way.

      And that’s where classes come in. They can show us what we need to learn in order to break down those inevitable brick walls that we will come across.

  2. Thanks for this great list of free genealogy classes, Owain! Isn’t it amazing the resources that are available these days? Like you, I learned genealogy just by just diving in, because there weren’t classes then. But I definitely made mistakes and hit lots of brick walls. Now that I’ve taken some classes, it’s all so much easier. So I look forward to checking these out and seeing what else I can learn.

    1. Yeah Deedee there is just so much out there. While creating this site I have just been blown away by the number of sites, blogs, software, DNA testing companies and so on.

      Therefore there is obviously a need for these classes so that we can get the most from these resources. And also learn valuable tips, tricks, techniques and skills along the way.

  3. These classes look really cool. It would be pretty interesting to check out who and where I come from. Thanks for sharing this helpful information and I look forward to doing some research!

  4. Hi Owain,
    Thank you so much for your very informative site. I tried researching my family tree several years ago and had very little luck. In my family there has been nothing passed down either orally or written. I did manage to go back a couple of generations but then I hit a wall. The resources you mentioned are all new to me, so I’m excited to give it a try again and see how far I get! Thanks again for the great article!

    1. Hi Keli,
      I’m sorry to hear that you had little luck. It’s knowing where to look and also how to look for it. And that’s where The Genealogy Guide comes in. To show you the way and to help you get the most out of these resources. All the best Keli.

  5. Wow I never knew that these classes even existed. So thank you very much for sharing them. I researched my family tree myself a while back but ran into some trouble. These classes will be a big help.

    1. My pleasure to help you Charlotte. There are plenty of resources out there. I know because I have been there. So it is always good when a guiding hand will show you the way. All the best with your genealogy research.

  6. Hi Owain,
    I must say that I am really impressed with your website. It contains a lot of very useful information for those seeking to learn about their family history. I will share your site with my sister as she is currently working on our family tree. She says that it isn’t a very easy task to complete. This should help her out tremendously.
    Jerome

    1. Glad that I could be of service Jerome. There are plenty of genealogy resources and tools that I have covered on this site. So I am sure that she will find something that will help her pursuit of her ancestors much easier.

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