| The course for September 2025 intakes runs from 17 September 2025 to 4 February 2026 (weeks off from 24 to 31 December 2025) with some assessments taking place after studies have concluded. Students study for one full day each week on a Wednesday for 19 weeks. |
Develop your career as part of the global nursing community!
Nursing in challenging environments requires knowledge of a broad range of health issues and practical tools to provide high-quality care to patients - wherever you are. This unique course prepares nurses and allied health professionals for work in low-resource settings and with vulnerable populations.
World-leading experts in their field teach through online sessions including interactive lectures, practical skills, and laboratory training. The vital insights they share open doors to careers around the world, as well as bringing fresh perspectives and understanding about the diversity and impact of nursing.
First established at LSHTM in 1996, it was the first programme of its kind that was designed with nurses in mind, acknowledging the vital role they play in health system strengthening and global nursing, while equipping them to work in a range of challenging circumstances with little or no infrastructural support. Our thousands of course graduates make significant contributions to global health. By taking this course you will also join this dedicated and supportive international network and become part of a lifelong alumni community.
What you will learn
Held up as the industry standard, the Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing (PTDN) covers a huge breadth of topics including infectious disease, mental health, decolonisation, and women's and children’s health. We are constantly adapting our approach to incorporate new areas of practice or emerging health challenges.
The course features a highly popular virtual laboratory element which is new to many students. Guided by a range of interactive videos and lectures, you will have the chance to see down the microscope on your computer screen, and learn skills such as how to recognise malaria, TB, leishmaniasis, filariasis and other parasitic diseases. Blood grouping, cross-matching and haemoglobin estimation are also demonstrated.
The PTDN is an established professional qualification and a requirement for many international agencies including Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), and the British Red Cross among others.
The course covers a range of key topics in global nursing including:
- Global healthcare challenges
- Optimising and advancing nursing practice global nursing practice
- Infection prevention and control
- Women and children's health
- Mental health
- Specific non-communicable and infectious diseases
Themes woven throughout the course are:
- The role and value of nursing
- Working with low resources
- Health inequalities
- Decolonisation
- Partnership working
Who should apply?
The PDTN is available to candidates with a degree who are currently registered as nurses, midwives, paramedics or allied health professionals.
We recommend you have two years of post-registration experience by the start of the course applied for. Any student who does not meet the above minimum entry requirements but who has relevant professional experience may still be eligible for admission.
The PDTN scholarship fund helps train, encourage and support the next generation of nurses from low- and middle-income countries.
How you will learn
Students study for one full day each week on a Wednesday for 19 weeks. For the duration of the programme, each week will typically include 7 hours of online time and 8 hours of self-directed study for a total of 285 notional hours.
The course is extremely rich and concentrated and you will get the most benefit from engaging with live lectures. Lectures are scheduled between 09:00 - 17:00 UK time, as well as being recorded and accessible afterwards on our e-learning platform, Moodle. Where possible we encourage all students to attend live lectures to be able to interact with the academic exercises, and other students, ask questions and get immediate answers. Students from many different time zones across the world join our live online lectures to benefit from the enhanced learning experience.
Assessment
Assessment for the Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing for the March 2025 intake took place on the following dates. Please note: some of the assessments take place after scheduled teaching has concluded.
| Assessment | Date |
|---|---|
| Practical lab exam | 9 July 2025 |
| MCQ exam | 30 July 2025 |
| Essay submission | 27 August 2025 |
Please note assessment dates for the September 2025 cohort are yet to be announced. Please check back for updates.
Additional information
Aims & Objectives
The overarching aim of this course is to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in providing effective healthcare within low-resource settings. It facilitates the development of practical skills, clinical knowledge, academic proficiency, and ethical awareness to enhance healthcare and address disparities.
Learning outcomes
- Apply and interpret laboratory methods available at local and district-level clinics in low-resource settings, for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and other medical conditions.
- Critically discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and nursing management of the major communicable and non-communicable diseases endemic in low-resource settings.
- Critically analyse the determinants of health, and how these are significant in the planning and delivery of health services
- Critically evaluate the ethical and professional responsibilities of healthcare workers in diverse socio-economic and cultural settings, and assess their role in improving health and diminishing health inequities.
Learning, teaching and assessment methods
The programme is taught through online lectures and laboratory sessions. Students are expected to learn through both directed and self-directed study.
The course is formally assessed through an online laboratory exam (33.33%), an online multiple-choice exam (33.33%), and the submission of a 2500-word essay (33.33%). These assessments are designed to enable students to demonstrate their learning in relation to the course's learning outcomes.
Candidates must pass all three-course components.
Accreditation
The course is Level 7 within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). Successful candidates will be awarded the 'Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing'.
Computer requirements
Students will require regular access to a computer with an internet connection, speakers and a microphone to access the LSHTM’s online learning site, where many of the programme’s study resources are located.
Internet connection and web access are essential. If you can stream videos, your connection and device should be sufficient. The main applications used during the programme are LSHTM’s online learning platform Moodle, Collaborate, Zoom, and videos.
It is recommended that users run the latest version of Google Chrome.
Fees for September 2025 entry
£2,200.
Funding
A limited number of full tuition fee waivers (valued at £2,200) are available for applicants joining the Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing (PDTN) in September 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a fee waiver, you must:
- Hold an offer of admission to the PDTN (September 2025 intake).
- Be a resident in, and a national of, a Low-Income Country (LIC) as defined by the World Bank - World Bank definition
How to Apply for a Fee Waiver
To be considered for a fee waiver, you must first hold an offer of admission to the Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing (September 2025 intake).
Step 1: Apply for the Course
Submit your application for the PDTN using the LSHTM Applicant Portal link.
Step 2: Wait for Your Offer
You must wait until you receive an offer of admission before applying for a fee waiver.
Step 3: Submit Your Fee Waiver Application
Once you hold an offer, email the following documents to shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk with the subject line: PDTN Fee Waiver Application
Your application must include:
- An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- A 400-word statement addressing:
- Your eligibility for the fee waiver (including LMIC status).
- Relevant clinical and/or academic experience.
- How you will engage with and apply your learning on the course.
- The potential impact of the course and award on your work and the wider community.
Selection Process
All fee waiver applications will be reviewed through a competitive process. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a virtual interview (date to be confirmed).
Applications will be assessed by an independent panel of PDTN alumni and global nursing experts against the following criteria:
- Eligibility and relevance of experience.
- Commitment to learning and course engagement.
- Potential impact on practice and community.
Expectations of Successful Applicants
In addition to the standard expectations for all PDTN students, recipients of a fee waiver are required to:
- Attend all live sessions and participate fully in group work and course discussions.
- Join a group meeting with the Course Lead and other successful applicants within the first five weeks to discuss your learning goals.
- Engage actively in the course community and peer learning opportunities.
- Deliver a short presentation about your work or workplace to your cohort.
- Submit a short written reflection within two weeks of course completion, to be shared with the funder.
Support for Applicants
An information webinar will be held for prospective applicants on 11th July at 11:00 UK time. A recording will also be made available on this page after this date.
Key Deadline
The deadline to apply for a September 2025 fee waiver is Monday, 28 July 2025
Decisions will be confirmed within approximately two weeks of the deadline date.
Entry Criteria
The programme is open to candidates with a degree who are currently registered as nurses, midwives, paramedics or allied medical professionals.
Any prospective student who does not meet the above minimum entry requirements but who has relevant professional experience may still be eligible for admission.
Candidates must be computer literate and have a good standard of written and spoken English and of English comprehension. LSHTM may ask the applicant to provide evidence of a satisfactory standard of English. LSHTM has approved certain English tests. Further details can be found in the English Language Requirements policy.
Priority may be given to applicants with experience of working in low- and middle-income countries and to those with at least two years of post-qualification experience.
Applications for September 2025 are now open and can be made via our online application form.
The application deadline is Wednesday 20 August 2025, 23:59 UK time. We strongly advise that you apply early as courses may close earlier than the stated deadline if they become full.
Please read LSHTM's Admissions policies prior to submitting your application.
LSHTM may cancel courses two weeks before the first day of the course if numbers prove insufficient. In those circumstances, course fees will be refunded.
Professional Diploma of Tropical Nursing - Virtual Journal Club
Open to everyone - Professional Diploma of Tropical Nursing Virtual Journal Club. Join nurses from across the world at our monthly journal club.
The club provides a platform for global nursing professionals (and other interested individuals) to engage with recent research. Here you can explore findings from relevant peer-reviewed papers, led by PDTN students and graduates, LSHTM staff, and external experts.
Expand your knowledge and network with the global nursing community!
It’s open to everyone!
The 2025 timetable
Just click here to join all Zoom sessions.
- 13:00 (UK time) - June 27, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - July 25, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - August 22, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - September 26, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - October 24, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - November 28, 2025
- 13:00 (UK time) - December 19, 2025
Watch recordings on our Panopto channel.
Alumnus Aebhric O'Kelly
Professional Diploma in Tropical Nursing (PDTN) alumnus Aebhric O'Kelly reflects on his experience studying the course online and how it has enhanced his career.
