Diplôme Universitaire (DU) in Family History and Genealogy

This new university degree focuses on developing the knowledge and skills required for successful genealogical research.

The École nationale des chartes has launched a new degree course, a ‘Diplôme Universitaire’ (DU), to teach the knowledge and skills required for genealogical research.

After completing these courses, taught by professionals in the relevant fields (archivistics, history of institutions and sources, introduction to law, toponymy, topography, onomastics, palaeography, bibliographic and digital tools, etc.), students will be equipped to compile a family history, carry out prosopography and, of course, read and understand the source documents used to draw up a genealogy on their own.

Skills and Objectives

• Understand the history of families in the light of the history of institutions and the documentary production associated with their activities from the modern era to the present day.
• Identifying and mastering genealogical research sources
• Reconstitute genealogical links by reading and interpreting documents in light of their historical and institutional context
• Apply knowledge of inheritance law, family law and land law to address genealogical research questions
• Diversify sources of information concerning individuals and their families
• Recognising and interpreting the history of emblematic systems and the evolution of toponymy and onomastics

Head of Education

Marie-Françoise Limon-Bonnet

Administrative Manager

Continuing Education Department
E-mail: formation.continue @ chartes.psl.eu
Tel: 01 55 42 21 53

Teaching Location

École nationale des chartes - PSL, 65, rue de Richelieu, Paris 2^e

Programme available through distance learning.

Admission requirements

Master's degree or equivalent (bac+5)

Application

Send CV, copy of diploma and covering letter (one page) toformation.continue @ chartes.psl.eu from¹ March to 21 May 2024.

Agenda

• The list of successful candidates will be announced one 7 June 2024
• Administrative/academic enrolment (one pathway, no options): from 10 June to 31 August 2024
• Courses starts on 13 September 2024

Registration fees: one-off fee, €5,000

• In addition to the courses, students must complete an internship  (max. 6 weeks)
• 509 hours in all (including 201 hours of classes and 308 hours of internship)
• 60 ECTS
• Duration: 1 academic year

List of courses

• Opening conference: What is genealogy? (3 hours, 0.5 ECTS)
• Accessing archives (6 hours, 1.5 ECTS)
• Genealogical sources I and II (48 hours, 12 ECTS)
• Introduction to law (24 hours, 6 ECTS)
• Institutions and their archives: the Ancien Régime (18 hours, 4 ECTS)
• Toponymy; Onomastics (9 hours, 3 ECTS)
• Prosopography and social history (3 hours, 1 ECTS)
• Heraldry and emblematics (24 hours, 6 ECTS)
• Palaeography (60 hours, 10 ECTS)
• Online tools and resources for genealogy (6 hours, 1 ECTS)
• Internship and internship report (308 hours, 15 ECTS)

• Genealogist for a professional firm
• Entrepreneurship in the field of family or estate genealogy
• Research assignments or participation in projects for public institutions or private companies in the area of expertise covered by the degree