Family History

Family history is for everybody. We all have stories in our family tree waiting to be told. Studying 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.

Explore your family's past. Term 1, 2023 starts 6 February.

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Explore our courses

Undergraduate Certificate in Family History

Taught by leading academics in history, genealogy and writing

Become part of a thriving online community of passionate family historians.

Develop your ability to trace the history of any family

Whatever your level of experience, this course will take your family history to the next level

Free access to Ancestry.com Library Edition & British Newspaper Archive

Access historical documents, photos, local narratives, oral histories and other resources from the 1500s to 2000s.

Study options in this degree

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.

Taught by leading scholars in family history, and specialists in Australian, European and Asian histories, this practical course will assist you in exploring your family’s past and enable you to become more proficient and comfortable in a digital environment.

Term 1: 6 Feb - 16 Apr 2023

Term 3: 24 Jul - 1 Oct 2023

A key unit for those new to family history and genealogy. You will learn how to plan, record and research family history as well as critically evaluate historical resources and communicate your findings.

More information about Introduction to Family History

Term 2: 1 May - 9 Jul 2023

Learn about the important role of oral history in documenting family history and how to incorporate oral history into your research. You will also learn valuable practical skills on how to record, transcribe and share oral histories in written form.

More information about Oral History

Term 2: 1 May - 9 Jul 2023

Learn how to get 'forensic' about the lives of past ancestors and interpret rich, sometimes disturbing evidence from historical convict, prison and court records.

More information about Convict Ancestors

Term 1: 6 Feb - 16 Apr 2023

Australia is a migrant nation, with a rich and diverse mix of peoples, languages and cultures. Develop your archival and digital research skills and learn how to find Australia and New Zealand migration records and use them to tell your family’s migration story.

More information about Migrant Families

Term 3: 24 Jul - 1 Oct 2023

Develop key skills for the writing of fiction and/or non-fiction based on genealogical records. Learn to craft and polish engaging and readable multigenerational family history narratives.

More information about Writing Family History

Term 3: 24 Jul - 1 Oct 2023

Discover more about your family's unique military past. This unit introduces you to researching online military records, and to contextualising diverse experiences of war with a focus on Australia and Britain during the First World War.

More information about Families and War

Term 4, 2022: 17 Oct - 11 Dec 2022

Term 4, 2023: 16 Oct - 24 Dec 2023

Find stories in your family treasure through homes, heirlooms, albums and art. Find immediate ways to relate to your family's past with remembering, researching and communicating family history and memories.

More information about Place, Image, Object

Term 4, 2022: 17 Oct - 11 Dec 2022

Term 4, 2023: 16 Oct - 24 Dec 2023

Adventure or romance, tragedy or triumph, legends of extraordinary feats or quiet tales of everyday struggles. What kinds of stories are there in your family tree? Develop key skills for the writing of fiction and/or non-fiction based on genealogical records, with an emphasis on crafting and polishing engaging and readable multigenerational family history narratives.

More information about The Family Saga

Term 4, 2022: 17 Oct - 11 Dec 2022

Term 4, 2023: 16 Oct - 24 Dec 2023

Learn the basics of creating a family photo essay, as you work with media professionals, bringing words and images together to communicate family stories. You will hone your writing skills and learn how to create, select, and edit photographic images.

More information about The Family Photo Essay

Find out more about what you'll study, entry requirements, fees and scholarships - and to apply.

Visit the course page

Feature Story

Lessons from the life of Sarah Wentworth

“I’ve been interested in family history for many years. One thing I loved about the Diploma was the diversity of the units. There was a unit on writing skills, one on photography, one specifically on convicts – I enjoyed every unit that I did and learning different approaches to the same topic.”

- Ros Escott, Diploma of Family History student

Ros' story