Course Review: Special Aspects of Scottish Research – National Institute for Genealogical Studies

I’ve just completed my first National Institute for Genealogical Studies course.

There are a variety of tracks on offer, including certificates in American Records, Australian Records, Canadian Records, English Records, German Records, Irish Records, Librarianship, Methodology, Professional Development, and Scottish Records. If you finish all of the classes in a particular track, you will earn a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS). You can also take courses without following any particular track, but some do have prerequisites. Another nice feature is that each certificate track includes a few elective options, so you can choose your elective courses from a variety of subjects or focus those on another area of research that interests you.

You can purchase one course at a time, or save money by buying one of the packages. If you plan to take more than one course or work toward a PLCGS, I recommend one of the course packages.  Some of the packages can be used toward any course you choose, and some are for specific courses, such as all of the basic level courses in a certain track. You can even prepay for the entire certificate package at once, and then enroll in the courses as you go along.

I chose to begin with Special Aspects of Scottish Research. Courses are divided into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. This is one of the basic level courses in the Scottish Records track. The course had six modules and an exam, and you have eight weeks to complete them all. There was reading each week and then an assignment to complete. Most assignments give you immediate feedback, so no waiting for your instructor to log in. I was impressed by the suggested additional reading. While the list was long, there were a lot of great resources. Some of the topics we covered were weights and measures, dates and calendars, naming patterns, and handwriting. At the end, there was a multiple choice exam. The exam score was available immediately after completing and submitting the test.

The required reading can be downloaded as a .pdf and printed or read on your preferred device. If you prefer a paper copy and don’t want to go to the expense of printing, you can order the course materials through NIGS.

I enjoyed the course and I’m already planning to take another. I happened to find a code for a FREE course through my Find My Past subscription. If you are a subscriber, be sure to look for your code. There are three options for the free course and they all count toward the PLCGS programs.

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