Overview (2027)
Key Information
Duration
Minimum 0.5 years, up to a maximum of 2 years.
Location
Duration
Minimum 0.5 years, up to a maximum of 2 years.
Location
Family history is for everybody. We all have stories in our family tree waiting to be told.
The Undergraduate Certificate in Family History will give you essential knowledge and tools to bring the past to life through tracing your family experiences and understanding the historical forces that shaped them.
Each unit is taught by specialists in Australian, British, European and Asian histories. As you progress through your course you’ll learn how to research, write and creatively communicate family history. You'll also develop skills to identify, analyse and interpret historical information from a range of family history sources, including planning and conducting online research, locating and managing historical data, and writing compelling family histories.
You'll learn how to use oral history, family heirlooms and photographs, as well as physical and digital archives to illuminate your family’s past. We will support you to understanding individual lives in their wider historical contexts, through investigating the impacts of events such as war, convict transportation, and migration.
The four units you study in this Certificate articulate with full credit into the Diploma of Family History.
2027 Start dates
For 2027 there will be four (4) blocks. These new intensive 7-week study periods align with the start and end dates of the 12-week Semesters.
Block 1: 22 Feb – 18 April 2027
Block 2: 26 April – 13 June 2027
Block 3: 05 Jul – 22 August 2027
Block 4: 06 Sept – 24 October 2027
- 1 Locate and analyse historical information to provide the evidence for family histories
- 2 Organise family history data and research materials to facilitate the creation of family histories
- 3 Use historical information to create family histories in a variety of forms
- 4 Communicate historical knowledge, ideas and skills accurately, ethically and creatively in a range of contexts
- 5 Use relevant digital tools and technologies, such as computers, software and the internet, for family history
Course structure
You will need to complete 50 credit points (any four units) from the schedule.
While you may complete the units in any order, we strongly recommend commencing your course with HAA003 Introduction to Family History
Introduction to Family History is designed for people interested in their own family histories or genealogy in general. You will learn how to efficiently plan and accurately record your family history using family history research principles and practices. The unit…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 1 |  |  |  | |
- Key:
On-campus- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Who are the most interesting characters on your family tree? Would you like to write their stories to share with other family members, or with a wider audience? Perhaps you have an ancestor who is intriguing because of what you…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 2 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
This unit uses the material world, in the form of objects, images and places, to engage with remembering, researching and communicating family history and memories. By looking at homes, human-shaped environments such as gardens, and inherited items both mundane and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 4 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Convict, prison and court records can provide rich, if sometimes disturbing, evidence of the lives led by our ancestors. This unit draws upon the expertise of leading historians of crime, the law, and convict transportation to guide you through the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 3 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
In this unit, you will work with media professionals to learn the basics of creating a family photo essay, bringing words and images together to communicate family stories. You will hone your writing skills and learn how to create, select,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 1 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Adventure or romance, tragedy or triumph, legends of extraordinary feats or quiet tales of everyday struggles: what kinds of stories have been told about families in the past and in the present? What literary forms are suitable for writing multi-generational…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 4 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Stories are central to the human experience. Shared family stories contribute to a more complete picture of where we have come from and where we are going. In this unit, you will learn about the role of oral history in…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 3 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Do you have a family ancestor who served as a soldier or nurse in the First World War? Do you have an old family war diary or set of letters in the proverbial attic? Building upon the skills in the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 4 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Australia is a migrant nation, with a rich and diverse mix of peoples, languages and cultures. In Migrant Families, we trace the journeys of ancestors who migrated to and from Australia and New Zealand, and place their lives in the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Block 2 | | | | |
- Key:
- On-campus
- Off-Campus
- International students
- Domestic students
Entry requirements
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study.
Students will need regular access to a desktop computer and the internet.
Domestic applicants
Applicants must meet one of the General Entry Requirements of the University of Tasmania such as completion of Secondary School (or equivalent), previous Higher Education study or previous VET/TAFE Study.
Domestic applicants with work and life experience
If you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Special consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors, including economic hardship, serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study.
Students will need regular access to a desktop computer and the internet.
Domestic applicantsApplicants must meet one of the General Entry Requirements of the University of Tasmania such as completion of Secondary School (or equivalent), previous Higher Education study or previous VET/TAFE Study.
Domestic applicants with work and life experienceIf you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Special considerationIf your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors, including economic hardship, serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
Students completing the Undergraduate Certificate in Family History will receive advance standing for four 12.5 credit point units of the Diploma of Family History.
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Commonwealth supported places (CSP) are available for this course. For eligible domestic students, this means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
Commonwealth Supported Place indicative annual fee: $7,519.07
How is this calculated?
This is an estimate. The calculation is based on the average full-time enrolment for this course in 2026. All figures are indicative only for 2027. Actual tuition fees will depend on specific unit enrolment, and are subject to annual increases each year. You can find the complete fee details for each unit of study on the individual unit pages. The units for this course are found in the course structure section of this page.
These figures do not include other costs such as the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). For further information, please visit Scholarships, fees and costs.
HECS-HELP loans
You may be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information on student loans and a CSP eligibility checker can be found at Australian Government Study Assist.
International students
2027 Total Tuition Fee (international students): $19,924 AUD*
Tuition fee based on a rate of $39,848 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Domestic scholarships
Scholarships for domestic students
Each year, the University offers more than 900 awards to students from all walks of life, including: those who have achieved high academic results, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, students with sporting ability, students undertaking overseas study, and students with a disability.
For information on all scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please refer to scholarships.
Applications for most awards commencing in Semester 1 open at the beginning of August and close strictly on 31 October in the year prior to study.
Course year 2027
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