The following universities across London offer health visitor courses.

Brunel University

Our Specialist Community Public Health Nursing and Health Visiting programmes (full or part-time) prepare nurses to be able to proactively and innovatively promote health and prevent ill health at individual, group and community levels. Students are supported and prepared forinfluencing and facilitating change within community practice settings. Undergraduate or postgraduate study options reflect inter-professional practice, including studying with social workers in areas of safeguarding, domestic violence and drug misuse.

For further information visit their website or contact Hilary Nailard

Bucks New University

Enhance your career with Bucks new university BSc (Hons) and postgraduate specialist community public health nursing. One year full-time or two years part-time, the specialist community public health nursing ourse is delivered at degree and postgraduate level. This innovative and practice-focussed programme supports the development of the knowledge and skills required to deliver the government agenda for public health. An essential element of the programme is shared learning with School Nurses and District Nurses. The modules cover public health practice, including delivering the healthy child programme, safeguarding, identifying public health needs, leadership and management, and research skills. Ful- time students spend two days a week in practice, while part-time students spend one day a week.

If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the course leader Kate Potter. Call 01494 522 141 or visit their website

City University

City university London is based in the heart of London, close to the City of London, where we contribute significantly to the capital's academic, cultural and business life. We have 21,727 students from 160 countries, who benefit from our internationally renowned experience of more than 100 years' of teaching and learning. The health visiting course provides integrated learning over a 52-week period in practice and at the university. The programme is led by a team of experienced health visitor lecturers and lecturer practitioners who also act as link lecturers and personal tutors to the students in the various practice areas. We are proud of the strong links we have with the practice areas where students will be supported by a practice teacher. The practice teachers attend a six weekly programme at City university London, ensuring that the programme reflects current practice and that the practice teachers are up to date with educational developments.

For further information visit their website or contact Janice Christie

City university London recommend that people who have not undertaken academic study within the last two years and/or wish to gain current knowledge of public health undertake the Public Health Awareness module

Hertfordshire University

This course gives you opportunities to develop and demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills in public health nursing. You will explore strategies for working in partnership with individuals and groups in a variety of community settings, promoting health and well-being and helping to develop participative leadership skills within your chosen specialist area.

You will also be encouraged to evaluate the current organisational and professional agendas that influence care delivery within primary healthcare and community settings, and as a result be in a good position to practice effectively within contemporary multi-professional and multi-agency approaches to care.

The course can be studied at undergraduate level leading to a BSc (Hons) or at postgraduate level leading to a postgraduate diploma, with the option of continuing to a full MSc on completion of the primary research and evaluation dissertation module.

For information visit their website or contact Denise Knight

King's College

King's is home to the number one school for nursing in London (Complete university guide 2011). King's provides two programmes of study, leading to registration as a specialist community public health nurse, at BSc and postgraduate level. Each programme provides a range of clinically-focussed modules that draw on research evidence to support effective health visiting and school nursing practice. The programme is split equally between theory and practice, which is supervised by a practice teacher.

For further information visit their website or contact Lynn Sayer

London Metropolitan University

London metropolitan university is centrally located, one tube stop from Kings Cross. The specialist cmmunity public health nursing (health visiting and school nursing) course is offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. studying with us offers you:

• inter-professional learning with social workers and other health professionals
• an emphasis on mental health in primary care
• online and web-based resources to support your learning
• a supportive environment for your practice teacher

For further information visit their website or contact Jo Skinner

London South Bank University

Our new programme has been praised as being innovative yet flexible! Join us at LSBU where our course team will offer you enthusiasm, support and extensive knowledge of contemporary health visiting, with the programme firmly embedded in practice. You will study a wide range of topics, from safeguarding children to understanding how to promote mental health and wellbeing, while developing diverse skills to help you work with the spectrum of public health issues encountered in health visiting practice.

For further information visit their website or contact Mary Saunders

University of Greenwich

Our new and innovative specialist community public health nursing programme (subject to approval) is due to commence in January 2012. It has been developed in response to the Coalition Government Health Visitor Implementation Plan (DH 2011) for health visiting and ongoing work by the Department of Health to reaffirm the essential role of the school nurse in order to meet the needs and expectations of children, young people and their families. The University of Greenwich has a long history of delivering a range of professional undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study in partnership with the NHS and is pleased to offer this new programme at both BSc (Hons) and PG diploma level. You will study a wide range of topics over one year, full-time or two years, part-time, with equal time spent undertaking academic study and in-practice placement. During this time you will be encouraged and supported to explore and develop the evidence-based knowledge and skills required of dynamic and reflective health visitors and school nurse practitioners. Courses will address theory, knowledge and skills related to public and community health, child and family health, and wellbeing and leadership.

For more information please contact Nicky Cocklin; tel: 0208 331 8027.