Certificate Requirements
- Membership in NAGARA
- $50 application fee (pay here when you have met the requirements, either before starting the program, or when submitting your completed application)
- 40 hours of qualified study
- Study hours must be taken within 5 years of the date of application
- A minimum of 2 hours of training in each of the 9 competency areas must be completed
- A state- or local-specific workshop on public records law is highly recommended
- An individual event may not be counted more than once
- Proof of attendance for all training events
Since the minimum requirement of 2 hours in the 9 competency areas totals 18 hours, applicants may enroll in multiple workshops within certain competency areas and/or may participate in subject area workshops that are longer than 2 hours’ duration. This will allow participants to pursue knowledge and skills that are of special interest to them and/or of relevance to their work environment.
What kinds of training count toward the certificate?
In addition to classes, seminars, workshops, and educational sessions at conferences, you may also request credit for webinars, online courses, or training videos. The course length must total 1 hour or more to be eligible for GARA study hours, but up to 25% of the time claimed on your application may be a Q&A following a webinar, or coursework such as activities or exercises.
Note: only educational events may be counted toward the certificate. Study hours will not be awarded for networking sessions, committee meetings, or social events. Additionally, NAGARA's Sponsor Solutions Series presentations are not eligible for GARA credit.
Can non-NAGARA training events count toward the certificate?
Yes, absolutely! The advantage to using NAGARA training events toward the certificate is that all NAGARA educational sessions are pre-approved for GARA credit, and all you must provide to the GARA Subcommittee for these events is your proof of attendance.
Past applications have included training from many different sources, including professional associations such as ARMA, AIIM, SAA, and IIMC, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), state libraries or similar agencies offering records management training for government agencies, state attorneys general offering training on Public Records laws, local consulting firms, and seminars offered by local chapters of national organizations. You will just need to make sure to provide sufficient documentation about the course – an agenda, program, web page printout, or an email from the instructor – to enable the GARA Subcommittee to verify the course content and length. You must also provide proof of attendance.
Tip: Ask your training provider if they have applied for GARA credit pre-approval for their training event. The pre-approval form can be found here on our website. This pre-approval form is designed for future events that have not yet occurred.