IAP Career College: Investigating Its Genealogist Certificate Program

IAP Career College: Genealogists are an inquisitive bunch by nature – we know how to dig for facts. So when an online school called IAP Career College offers a “Professional Genealogist Certificate” for only $149 and promises a quick path to your dream career, my scam radar starts buzzing.

In this investigative report, I’ll pull back the curtain on IAP’s Genealogist Certificate Course and compare it to gold-standard genealogy credentials like the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), ICAPGen (Accredited Genealogist℠), and Boston University’s respected genealogy certificate. The goal is to help you make an informed decision about investing time and money in genealogy education – and to protect our community from potentially predatory programs.

What Is IAP Career College? (Hint: Not a Real College)

IAP Career College (short for International Association of Professions Career College) is a private for-profit online school that has been around since 1999. Rather than a traditional accredited college, it’s actually a spin-off of a company called FabJob Inc., known for publishing “how to start your dream career” guidebooks. IAP offers dozens of quick certificate courses in non-traditional careers – from life coaching and event planning to genealogy. Importantly, IAP is not accredited by any recognized academic agency. In fact, the only “accreditation” IAP claims is an A+ business rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A BBB accreditation means the company meets BBB’s ethical business standards, not that its courses carry any academic or industry authority. This is a red flag, since legitimate educational credentials in genealogy (or any field) typically come from accredited universities or recognized professional organizations, not just a BBB sticker.

Despite the lack of academic accreditation, IAP proudly advertises that it has helped “500,000+ career changers” and has been featured on media like Oprah’s newsletter and ABC. The glossy marketing doesn’t mention any endorsements from actual genealogical institutions or societies. That omission is telling – you won’t find the IAP genealogist certificate on the approved credentials lists of the BCG or ICAPGen. Instead, IAP is essentially a business venture selling short online courses and certificates, backed by FabJob’s career guide content.

Inside the Genealogist Certificate Course: Fast, Flexible… and Flimsy?

Let’s examine what you get with IAP’s Genealogist Certificate Course. The program is advertised as part-time and self-paced, with a recommended length of 6 weeks (but you can finish in as little as 2 weeks or take up to 12). The current tuition is $149 (marked down from a supposed $377 “regular” price). Compared to other genealogy education options, $149 is dirt cheap – but the old saying “you get what you pay for” looms large here.

• Course Content: According to IAP’s syllabus, the genealogist course provides an overview of the profession and basic techniques for research. Topics include gathering information, using sources like census and cemetery records, genealogy software, source citation, and compiling reports. Interestingly, a significant portion of the curriculum is about “Starting Your Genealogy Business” and marketing – crafting business plans, setting fees, getting clients, etc.. This indicates the course is geared toward turning students into independent genealogy service providers quickly. While business skills are certainly useful, becoming a competent genealogist requires far more depth in research methodology, evidence analysis, and record interpretation than can be taught in a few weeks. The IAP course uses a textbook – IAP Career College Guide to Become a Genealogist – which is actually an e-book published by FabJob (first released in 2016) as a DIY career manual. Lessons consist of reading assignments from the guide and answering review questions, with minimal instructor interaction. In fact, IAP openly states the course is designed to be completed “without any teaching assistance,” though faculty are available if you reach out. Some past students have noted that faculty responses can be slow – not surprising given the low price and likely high volume of enrollees.

• Flexibility vs. Rigor: The upside here is flexibility. You can study on your own schedule and breeze through quickly if you have time. However, the downside is a lack of depth and guidance. There are no live lectures or interactive workshops – it’s essentially self-study with a multiple-choice final exam at the end. (You need 60% to pass, and if you fail you can retake the course for a reduced fee.) Upon passing, you get a PDF certificate you can print, and you can even purchase a fancy printed certificate with a gold seal for $35. Crucially, passing this exam and getting the certificate does not make you a certified professional genealogist in any recognized sense. It’s a certificate of completion from IAP, not a license or credential vetted by the professional genealogy community.

One reviewer astutely observed that the IAP course “covered a lot of ground” but essentially feels like “selling the textbook along with a certificate after you’ve read it.” The course is introductory in nature – it might familiarize you with basic genealogy concepts and give tips on starting a genealogy business, but it won’t train you to handle complex research problems or evaluate evidence at the level expected of accredited professionals. Two weeks of suggested readings can’t replace the months or years of study and practice that true expertise requires.

Who’s Teaching and Who’s Vouching?

Another point of concern is the faculty and credibility behind the course. IAP’s website doesn’t name any specific instructor for the Genealogist Certificate. The “faculty member” mentioned seems to be a support person assigned to answer questions, rather than a known genealogy expert. IAP claims its staff includes people with Ph.D. degrees and real-world experience. The founders of IAP/FabJob, Catherine and Tag Goulet, have backgrounds in publishing and adult education but are not certified genealogists themselves. There’s no indication that a Certified Genealogist (CG)® or Accredited Genealogist (AG)® had any hand in developing or teaching the genealogy course material. In contrast, legitimate genealogy education programs typically feature instructors who are well-respected in the field (often BCG-certified, AG-certified, or holders of advanced degrees in genealogy/family history).

IAP does highlight positive testimonials from students on its site. One testimonial on the Genealogist Certificate page is from Amy Molthan. Amy thanks IAP for a course that “made me feel much more well informed about what I needed to know to start my career as a professional genealogist,” and she mentions reading through the material twice because it had “so many resources”. That review concludes with “[t]his saved me thousands to get me started.”. It’s a glowing endorsement, but who is Amy Molthan? There’s no evidence that she became a working professional genealogist or earned any recognized credentials after the IAP course. Her testimonial, like all on IAP’s site, is undoubtedly genuine from her perspective – yet remember, the company curates only success stories on its marketing pages. We don’t hear from students who might have found the course disappointing or insufficient.

To gauge broader customer satisfaction, I checked the Better Business Bureau records and independent forums. The BBB shows IAP Career College holds an A+ rating, but notably has 11 complaints in the past 3 years. Some complaints describe issues such as difficulty accessing course materials and unresponsive customer service. One student reported paying for a class and then finding “no documents or materials” available and getting no help for weeks. Another hinted at billing troubles that required cancelling a debit card to stop charges. While IAP did resolve or answer most BBB complaints, these reports raise concerns about the support and infrastructure behind that shiny website. On a Reddit discussion, multiple genealogists recommended steering clear of IAP, arguing that its certificate carries little weight and that money is better spent on courses from reputable genealogy organizations.

The IAPO Membership Upsell – Valuable Network or Vanity Club?

During checkout for the IAP Genealogist course, you’ll be tempted with an add-on: membership in the IAPO International Organization of Professional Genealogists for $2.99/month. On paper, IAPO (International Association of Professional Organizations) is described as a professional membership providing a newsletter, a directory listing, discounts, and even a “seal of membership” you can display. It sounds a bit like joining a professional guild. But genealogists should ask: Does IAPO have any standing in the genealogy world?

The reality is IAPO is an in-house creation of IAP Career College – essentially a club for IAP students and graduates. The benefits (discounts on courses, generic shopping discounts at retailers, etc.) are more akin to a shopper’s loyalty program than a scholarly society. Crucially, being an “IAPO Professional Genealogist” is not recognized by any established genealogy body. It’s not the same as being a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) or a certified member of BCG/ICAPGen. In fact, listing an IAPO membership on your resume might only confuse clients or employers. It’s a nice-sounding title that anyone can buy for a few dollars, without any assessment of one’s actual skills. This kind of pay-to-be-listed approach is a hallmark of what some call “vanity credentials.” It doesn’t inherently mean IAPO is a scam, but it’s not a vetted credential – it’s a revenue stream for IAP. As one Reddit commenter wryly noted, IAP will even nominate you for their internal “Business Awards” as a membership perk – something that sounds prestigious until you realize it’s all inside one self-referential ecosystem.

To put it bluntly, real professional credibility in genealogy isn’t purchased through a $2.99 club. It’s earned through recognized credentials or a solid track record in the field. If you’re eyeing IAPO membership thinking it will lend you legitimacy, you might be disappointed. Instead, consider joining well-known organizations like APG or your local genealogical society, where membership actually connects you with experienced peers and ethical standards.

Comparing IAP’s Certificate to Established Genealogy Credentials

How does IAP’s quick certificate stack up against the legitimate pathways for genealogical education and certification? Let’s compare on a few key points:

• Accreditation & Oversight: IAP’s program has no academic or professional accreditation, only a BBB business accreditation. By contrast, Boston University’s Genealogical Research Certificate was offered through an accredited university (BU’s Metropolitan College) and held to rigorous continuing-education standards. BCG (Board for Certification of Genealogists™) and ICAPGen are peer-reviewed credentialing bodies founded by leading genealogists dating back to 1964, dedicated to upholding high standards in the field. They operate under codes of ethics and require periodic renewal of credentials to ensure continued competency. In short, IAP answers only to itself, whereas BCG/ICAPGen are accountable to the professional community.

• Course Rigor & Duration: IAP’s course is ~6 weeks part-time, with an option to finish in 2 weeks – essentially a brief overview. Boston University’s certificate is a 15-week intensive course that delves deeply into genealogical research methodologies, evidence analysis, forensic genealogy, and more. BU’s program was taught by a faculty of seasoned professional genealogists and was known to be challenging – graduates often say it significantly improved their skills.Meanwhile, BCG certification has no set “course” but typically takes candidates a year or more of self-guided work to prepare a comprehensive portfolio of case studies, proof arguments, and research reports for evaluation. ICAPGen’s accreditation process involves a multi-step exam: submitting a detailed four-generation research project, a proctored written exam (testing regional record knowledge and research skills), and an oral defense. It’s not quick or easy – and that’s the point. Achieving CG or AG® status proves you can handle complex genealogy problems to professional standards. A two-week crash course simply cannot replicate that level of training or vetting.

• Cost: On the surface, IAP wins on price: $149 for the genealogist course. BU’s 15-week certificate cost around $2,695 (as of recent years), which is a significant investment. BCG’s application fee is a few hundred dollars (and you might invest in many books/courses to build your skills beforehand). ICAPGen’s fees are also a few hundred plus potential travel costs to testing sites.However, value is not just about sticker price. With BU/BCG/ICAPGen, you’re paying for recognized excellence and thorough education, which can translate into better client trust and career opportunities. IAP’s $149 might end up wasted if the certificate doesn’t actually help you gain clients or employment – or if you find you need to take additional courses afterward to fill knowledge gaps. One could argue that any money spent on a low-value program is too much, even if it’s only $149.As Amy Molthan noted, she felt IAP “saved [her] thousands” compared to other programs. It’s true the top-tier options are pricier, but we must ask: saved thousands for what outcome? If the cheaper course doesn’t impart the needed skills or credibility, those “savings” are illusory.

• Industry Recognition: This is perhaps the biggest differentiator. Holding a BCG Certified Genealogist® credential or an ICAPGen Accredited Genealogist® credential is like a badge of honor in our field. It tells colleagues and clients that your work was reviewed by respected peers and met high standards. Graduates of BU’s certificate often network into professional roles and many go on to seek certification; BU’s program was even touted as preparation for the BCG exam.In contrast, if you mention an “IAP Career College Genealogist Certificate” to an audience of professional genealogists, you’ll likely get blank stares. It’s simply not on the radar. It doesn’t qualify you for membership in any established professional body, nor does it count toward requirements for credentials.For example, neither BCG nor ICAPGen gives any credit for having taken an IAP course when you apply – you start from zero like everyone else. In client perception too, savvy genealogy clients may know to look for credentials like CG or AG, or degrees/certificates from known institutions.An IAP certificate might not reassure a well-informed client of anything, since it’s not associated with the known genealogy education landscape. As one genealogy veteran put it bluntly on Reddit: “Certificates from [National Genealogical Society or other established programs] will get you a lot more respect and validity than anything from IAP College will.”.

• Curriculum Quality: The content in IAP’s course is broad but shallow – touching the basics of sources, software, business startup, etc., presumably at a beginner level. BU’s course and other institutes (like SLIG or IGHR) offer advanced methodologies – citing sources to standards, resolving conflicting evidence, writing proof arguments, specialized records research – the meat of professional genealogy.BCG’s required portfolio elements (like case studies and Kinship Determination projects) force applicants to demonstrate top-notch research and writing. These traditional programs also emphasize ethics, something IAP’s marketing doesn’t mention. A professional genealogist must follow ethical standards regarding client work, privacy, and honesty about findings. It’s unclear if IAP even covers the Genealogist’s Code of Ethics that BCG and others require. This could be a critical omission, since consumer protection is partly about ensuring practitioners hold themselves to ethical guidelines – not just that they have a piece of paper.

Red Flags to Consider

Summing up the concerns, here are the potential scam indicators or at least red flags that any savvy genealogy consumer should weigh before enrolling in IAP Career College’s program:

• No Recognized Accreditation: IAP is only BBB-accredited as a business, not accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or any genealogy education authority. This means your certificate has no academic standing. If a program’s “accreditation” sounds unusual (or they redirect the question as IAP does by bragging about BBB), that’s a warning sign.

• Emphasis on Quick Certification: “Become a genealogist in 2 weeks!” has the same energy as fad diets promising “lose 20 lbs. in 2 weeks.” It’s an unrealistic expectation for a complex skill set. Be wary of any course that promises a professional career after just a few weeks of part-time study. Realistically, professional genealogy competency takes extensive practice and learning.

• Upselling Memberships and Extras: Legitimate credentials like BCG/ICAPGen don’t charge you monthly for a directory listing or a seal to display. IAP’s push to sell you IAPO membership and even printed certificates smells more like a business trying to maximize profit per student. It’s not illegal, but it does commercialize what in other contexts (e.g., a university alumni association or a professional society) would be earned or optional, not a point of profit. One former IAP student reported being charged monthly without adequate support or clarity on how to cancel. Always read the fine print on subscriptions and guarantees.

• Lack of Independent Endorsement: Notice that IAP’s site touts media mentions and student testimonials, but not third-party evaluations of the course quality. You won’t find reviews from genealogical journals or partnerships with genealogy nonprofits. In contrast, programs like BU’s or those by NGS often get mentioned by genealogy experts. If a course seems to exist in a bubble outside the established genealogy community, ask why.

• Overuse of Superlatives: IAP’s marketing language is full of grand claims – “ensure high academic standards,” “display with pride the certificate,” “dream career,” “we are the leader in online career guides”. Excessive hype without concrete details about outcomes (like job placement rates or specific skill gains) is a common trait of subpar programs. They’re selling you a dream more than a tangible education. As genealogists, we prefer evidence over hype.

• Customer Service Issues: The presence of BBB complaints about course access and billing, and reports of slow faculty response, suggest that if you run into any issues, you may not get prompt support. A good educational program should prioritize student success, not leave you shouting into the void or fighting to get a refund under a “100% Money Back Guarantee” promise. (Speaking of, always scrutinize money-back guarantee conditions – IAP’s FAQ likely outlines hoops you must jump through. Guarantees can be more marketing gimmick than practical safety net.)

Legit Alternatives for Budding Professional Genealogists

If you are serious about a genealogy career or credential, what should you consider instead of (or before resorting to) a course like IAP’s? Here’s the approach many in the genealogy community recommend:

• Pursue Credentialing through BCG or ICAPGen: Even if you’re not ready to apply yet, use BCG’s free resources (like their Genealogy Standards manual and webinars) to guide your self-education. Similarly, ICAPGen provides study materials for regional specialization. These credentials are the end goal that will carry weight once achieved. Working toward them ensures you’re learning the right skills.

• University or College Certificates: Boston University’s program was a top choice (note: BU is phasing out its genealogy certificate by Spring 2026 due to internal decisions, but until then it remains a robust option for those who can enroll). University of Strathclyde (Scotland) offers well-regarded online postgraduate certificates and even a Master’s in Genealogical Studies. Brigham Young University has a BA degree in Family History. And there is also International Institute of Genealogical Studies. These academic programs require significant time and money, but they thoroughly train you and are respected credentials.

• National Genealogical Society (NGS) Courses: The NGS in the U.S. offers a series of Home Study courses and the more advanced American Genealogical Studies They also have specialized courses (e.g., law for genealogists). NGS courses are not credentials by themselves, but they are developed by certified genealogists and are widely considered excellent training. When a Reddit user asked about IAP, experts steered them toward NGS’s programs as a better investment.

• Genealogical Institutes: Week-long intensive institutes like SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy), IGHR (Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research), and GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh) offer deep-dives into methodology and records. These are often taught by the top genealogists in the field. While not “certificates” per se, completing institute courses significantly boosts your skill level and credibility.

• Mentorship and Experience: Join organizations like APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) to network with pros. Volunteering for genealogy projects or working on clients’ cases (under supervision or as an intern) can provide real-world training no online course can replicate. Realize that being a professional genealogist is as much about experience as it is about book learning.

In essence, the legitimate path might be longer and more costly upfront than IAP’s shortcut, but it pays off in genuine expertise and trust in the marketplace. As genealogists, our reputation is everything – clients entrust us with their family history mysteries. Building that reputation on a solid foundation of credible education and proven skills is the safest route to success.

Conclusion: The Verdict on IAP’s Genealogy Certificate

After thorough investigation, my conclusion is that IAP Career College’s Genealogist Certificate Course is not outright fraud, but it is far from a golden ticket. It appears to deliver a basic introductory education in genealogy and business basics, and you’ll get a certificate for your wall. If your goal is personal enrichment or to test the waters of genealogy as a hobby, you might find some value in it for a relatively low cost. Amy Molthan and other satisfied students clearly felt they learned something and gained confidence. There’s nothing wrong with learning in any format – knowledge is knowledge.

However, if your goal is to become a respected professional genealogist or to offer services to clients, you deserve to know that this certificate alone will not qualify you in the eyes of the professional community. You will be competing with genealogists who have invested in rigorous training and earned respected credentials. An IAP certificate won’t make your resume stand out to a seasoned hiring manager or a client who does their homework. As one genealogy veteran bluntly put it, “I have no doubt the education [from NGS or others] will be better… the choice is up to you” – in other words, don’t shortchange yourself by going for the easiest option.

From a consumer protection standpoint, IAP Career College raises some flags: it leverages slick marketing and aspirational language to sell an unaccredited certificate, and it monetizes extras like memberships and printed diplomas. These are characteristics often seen in “certification mill” programs. While I won’t label IAP an outright scam – students do receive course materials and a certificate as promised – it treads the line of predatory by possibly overstating what graduates can do with their new credential. The responsibility then falls on us, as informed consumers, to separate the sales pitch from the reality.

Bottom line: If you’re contemplating IAP’s Genealogist Course, ask yourself what you hope to gain. If it’s a bit of foundational knowledge and a confidence boost for $149, it might deliver that. But if you’re eyeing a professional genealogy career, be prepared to pursue further education and real credentials beyond IAP. In the world of genealogy, there is no true shortcut to becoming an expert. As tempting as a quick certificate is, the real paths – BCG, ICAPGen, university courses – will serve you and your clients far better in the long run. Don’t let a flashy “dream career” advertisement derail you from the hard work and legitimate training that actually create a qualified genealogist.

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Author’s Note: I want to be transparent that this content – IAP Career College: Investigating Its Genealogist Certificate Program – was created in part with the help of several artificial intelligence (AI) language models – Chat GPT 5.2 Business Pro, Claude Opus, and Mistral. The AI assisted in generating an early draft of the content, but every paragraph was subsequently reviewed, edited, and refined by me. The final content is the result of extensive human curation and creativity. I am proud to present this work and assure readers that while AI was a tool in the process, the story, style, and substance have been carefully shaped by the author.