Boston University Certificate in Genealogy Review

My online course through Boston University is now complete. Yesterday, I received my grade on my final project and was pleased with my grade. Final grades are not yet sent out however I was able to compute my grade. In the next few weeks I hope to have my certificate in hand after it is mailed out.

The biggest take-a-way that I have and want to pass on to prospective students for the 15 week certificate in genealogy course is to make sure that you have the time to invest in the course. If you do not have "a lot" of extra time, please reconsider enrolling. The course will consume an enormous amount of your time. The reading can be heavy at times but the time involved in the writing and the research assignments is daunting. I estimate that I spent a minimum of 30 hours per week on the course; sometimes more.

Years ago, as an adult and working full-time, I enrolled at the University of Albany to begin studies for my Bachelors and later Masters in History. This was a lot of work and took almost nine years. In my opinion, the BU course was more intensive, demanding, and nerve wracking then when I was a college student. And the the certificate in genealogy course does not carry any college credit nor does it earn you the title of being a Certified Genealogist or CG.

The BU course is taught by genealogy professionals and it will help you become a better genealogist by learning and applying the five-step fundamentals of the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) to answer your genealogical question.

    1) Conduct a reasonably exhaustive search for all information

    2) Compile complete citations for each information item

    3) Analyze and correlate information used as evidence

    4) Resolve any conflicts contrary to answering the question

    5) Write a coherent conclusion based on the evidence

Other key learning points include:

    1) Learning about evidence analysis.

            Sources provide information that identify evidence for analysis.

    2) The proper method of writing source citations.

    3) Uses of DNA testing.

    4) Genealogical writing: proof statements, proof arguments, and proof summaries.

I found the course very worth while. Even if you consider yourself a hobbyist genealogist this course still may be for you especially if you wish to up your game in genealogy. My next course of action is to get on the waiting list and enroll in the 14 month ProGen study group.

Presently there are numerous gravestones waiting for me...