Continuing professional development
Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Preparatory Course CPD: Online distance learning
Applications are now closed and will open again on 1 May 2026
This flexible online course prepares medically qualified clinicians for the professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H), examined, and awarded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. We equip students with the skills and competencies to work in tropical countries, and provide an understanding of tropical infections seen in travellers and migrant populations.
- Online distance learning
- Contact: mvls-dtmh@glasgow.ac.uk
- Teaching start: September
- CPD: 9 months
- Microscopy training
- Flexible online learning
Why this course
- This University of Glasgow course has been running as a continuing professional/personal development course since the late 1980s and benefits from a wealth of experience.
- On-campus microscopy training is included in fees
- The course is directed by Professor Michael Barrett and led by Dr Christina Naula, who are both passionate about the delivery of a quality course, meeting students’ needs to ensure their success in the exam. This is reflected in the excellent exam pass rate for University of Glasgow students of 74% in June 2025 (above the 70.3% average for all course providers).
- Although the DTM&H examined and awarded by the WSA is restricted to clinicians with a primary medical degree, the course itself welcomes clinicians from various disciplines, including nurses and paramedics. We do not offer a qualification but by completing the DTM&H preparatory course you are eligible to enrol in the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine Foundation’s Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Health via Recognition of Prior Learning, with advanced standing granted. This pathway enables candidates to extend their learning into a postgraduate qualification focused on the clinical, laboratory, and operational management of tropical diseases in austere and resource-limited settings.
- A twelve-month sponsored student membership of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) is included in your fees, enabling you to start engaging with the global health community and taking advantage of opportunities straight away.
Student feedback
Excellent team running the course, very clear and prompt communication
Course is excellent, well-paced and easy to refer back to resources as needed
This is an outstanding option for practicing clinicians - high level teaching combined with flexible schedule
Very good teaching quality on a good array of subjects
The tutorials were the highlight of the course. They were really interesting and engaging
Course structure
Course description
Core content is delivered online from 14 September 2026 through until the end of April 2027, followed by three weeks of revision in May 2027. Course content is released weekly and is available on demand to allow you flexibility and control over your learning.
We run fortnightly online interactive tutorials from October through to April covering a range of relevant topics. These tutorials are organised together with the DTM&H preparatory course run by the University of Sheffield. Tutorials are delivered in the evening (UK time) and are recorded and available to watch on demand.
Additional live interactive teaching days and half days provide further in-depth knowledge in specialist areas e.g. humanitarian medicine. These are also recorded and available to watch on demand.
Formal teaching, including revision sessions, concludes at the end of May 2027.
Course content
Our course content is guided by the syllabus published in the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries Guide to the Diploma in Tropical Medicine& Hygiene (DTM&H).
- Clinical Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine (~60% of the examination)
- Non-Communicable Diseases of Importance in the Tropics & Sub-Tropics (~15% of the examination)
- Preventative Medicine & International Public Health (~25% of the examination)
Microscopy training
A minimum of 12 hours of microscopy training is mandatory for exam eligibility. During our laboratory teaching days, you will receive practical microscopy training to diagnose parasitic infections seen in tropical regions. You will benefit from our large collection of diagnostic specimens and the expertise of our tutors.
Confirmed dates for microscopy training:
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK: 30 November to 2 December 2026 or 8-10 December 2026. Optional self-directed microscopy will be offered on 3 and 12 December 2026 respectively.
- University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 20-21 January 2027 (followed by tropical medicine symposium on 23 January 2027)
We may also offer training at the following locations, to be confirmed at a later stage. This depends on numbers of applicants wishing to train in these locations. Please indicate this clearly in your application.
- Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (previously February)
- Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi (previously February)
- Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (previously January)
- Christian Medical Centre, Vellore, India (previously March)
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa (limited spaces, previously January)
Please revisit this page for updates.
Course attendance and workload
Our course offers maximum flexibility to plan your studies around busy clinical schedules.
Students are required to undertake considerable self-directed study, covering large volumes of material at a fast pace. We recommend that you can commit at least 10 hours per week to studying. This is a significant time-commitment, and we ask you to think carefully about time you have available to dedicate to study. Based on previous student feedback, we no longer consider applications if you plan to study for or sit MRCP or similar exams in the same year, or if you are studying towards a PhD or MSc.
Examination
The date of the examination will be confirmed later. For reference, the date for 2026 is 27 May.
Course revision package
If you need to retake your examination, or you have decided to defer the exam, we offer a course revision package. This is only open to alumni of the University of Glasgow Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene course. The revision package includes:
- Full on demand access to course revision learning platform
- Optional attendance of tutorials, live teaching sessions and revision classes.
The main intakes for this revision package are September and January; applications open in July 2026.
Course alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all courses as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a course. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Fees & funding
Fees 2026-27
- Students from high income countries: £2,900
- Students who reside in a DAC listed country: £1,000
The fees include access to all learning materials and microscopy training (excluding travel and accommodation).
Exam fees are not included. You will need to pay these separately to The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. In 2026, the fees were £570.
The fee for the revision package is £250.
Scholarships
For session 2026-27, we are offering 10 competitive scholarships. These are available for applicants in a DAC listed country only. The scholarships are offered to build and strengthen healthcare capacity.
Scholarships cover payment of the following:
- Study course fees
- Examination fees
Please indicate your wish to be considered for a scholarship on the DTMH application questionnaire. On this questionnaire, we ask you to make a strong case for how you will benefit from the DTMH qualification and how this supports healthcare systems in your country of residence.
Suitable candidates must agree to be interviewed by the course directors and successful candidates must sign terms and conditions, which will be explained during interview. Applications for scholarships will close as soon as places are filled. Should you have any questions, please contact mvls-dtmh@glasgow.ac.uk
Entry requirements
- For applicants intending to sit the DTM& H examination: a qualification to practice Medicine, and be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) of the United Kingdom; or a medical qualification awarded by an internationally recognised institution.
- For clinical applicants without primary medical degree: a valid qualification awarded by an internationally recognised institution
- Completion of foundation years FY1 & FY2 or equivalent.
- We recommend an IELTS score of 7.5. However, you do not need to have taken IELTS, or any other language examination. If your English language is inadequate there is a strong risk of failing to comprehend the course and likely failure in the exam.
- You must have access to a computer and internet capable of accessing the virtual learning environment and Zoom, our online meeting place.
How to apply
You must read this guide to applying online before starting your application. It will answer questions we frequently receive and ensure we are ready to proceed with your application.
Do I have to apply online?
Yes, we are unable to accept your application by any other means than online.
Do I need to complete and submit the application in a single session?
No. You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process. You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload additional documents such as your medical qualification.
What documents do I need to provide to make an application?
As well as completing your online application in full, it is only possible to submit your application once you have uploaded the required documents:
- A copy (or copies) of your qualification, either Primary medical qualification eg. MBBS, BMBS, MBChB, MBBCh, MD for applicants wishing to sit the DTM&H examination
- Clinical qualification (for example nursing, paramedicine)
- Official English translations of your qualification if the qualification is not in English.
- A short 2-page CV summarising key qualifications and relevant employment history.
- A copy of the completed DTMH Application Questionnaire
Can I submit my application if my documents are incomplete?
No. It is only possible to submit your application once you have uploaded the required documents.
Can I email my documents?
No. We cannot accept email submissions.
Guidance notes for using the online application
These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately, they are also available within the help section of the online application form. If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, then you should visit the Application Troubleshooting/FAQs page.
- Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out. Please do not use all-caps for your name.
- Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Choice of course: Please carefully select the course you want to study.
- Proposed date of entry: For this course, there is a September start option only.
- Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
- Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course.
If you have any questions, please email us at mvls-dtmh@glasgow.ac.uk
Application deadlines
Applications open on 1 May 2026 and close on 15 July 2026.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may close early if the course reaches capacity. Late applications will not be considered. You will receive our decision on your application by 1 September 2025.
The course inductions will start on 14 September 2025 and teaching commences on 21 September.
