Are you looking for an online course on a particular genealogy-related topic? Perhaps you are looking for an organised programme of courses to give you a solid foundation in family history research. You are in the right place, welcome to Pharos Tutors!


Karen Cummings, Managing Director

Pharos are specialists in online family history education, providing topic-based courses both individually and as part of certificate programmes. Our excellent tutors are professional genealogists, archives professionals and subject experts with many decades of teaching experience between them. Our students benefit from interaction with their tutor in weekly “chat rooms” on every tutor-led course. Courses are short and reasonably priced, based around interesting topics and fascinating records.  Mostly focused on the records of the British Isles, there are also courses applicable internationally, such as those on DNA and one-name and one-place studies.

Originally established in 2006, with 3 tutors and just 5 courses, we now have over forty genealogy courses available and thousands of people have enjoyed our courses. There are three types of courses:

Pharos Anytime courses are self-driven courses and there is no need to wait for a start date. You work at your own pace independently but have the opportunity to interact with other students and ask questions of a tutor in the online course forum.

Pharos Tutor-Led courses are our most popular courses. They have a set start date and lesson notes are sent out once a week. There are exercises for you to complete in the online course forum each week and you will have the chance to meet your tutor and fellow students and ask questions in the weekly chat sessions. Tutor-led courses last 3-6 weeks. 

Pharos Certificate courses are fixed programmes of Tutor-Led courses, developed and taught jointly with the Society of Genealogists. You can choose to be part of the assessed programme and have your work marked by your tutor, leading to a certificate and a real sense of achievement. You may also take any of these courses separately and choose whether or not to be assessed.

With an online genealogy course, it is not where you live that makes a difference, it's what you want to learn. Study in your own time, enjoying the assistance of an expert tutor and interaction with fellow students.  

What are you waiting for? Start your journey today.