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Herbalism Courses

Accredited Courses

We do not run our own courses in herbal medicine, however we accredit a number of degree level courses. This means that if you want to study herbalism as a three or more year degree level qualification, the courses that we have accredited meet our standards and graduates will be automatically eligible for membership.

The courses are run by the schools themselves and not the Institute, so please direct any questions about the courses (specific content, time commitments, online learning options etc) to the relevant school.

Further down the page are details of:

  • Previously accredited courses
  • Short courses in herbalism
  • Childrens herbal courses

 

The following courses are currently accredited, and graduates from them are automatically eligible to apply for membership to the Institute:

www.betonica.co.uk

About Betonica

“A herbalist in every home, a practitioner in every town”

At Betonica, it is our vision to build and sustain a herbal community and is part of the wider ecology of the herbal medicine world both nationally and globally.

Betonica believes that herbal medicine is of the people, and this is the way we approach our teaching and our clinics.

  • Our clinics are subsidised so that a wider demographic is able to access professional herbalists.
  • We have home herbalist courses both online and in person so that each individual is empowered and knows how and when to turn to herbs for the coughs and colds and bumps and bruises that we all experience in our life
  • We train professional herbalists with an in depth knowledge of medicine and clinical practice so that more herbalists can support those with health concerns requiring a professional perspective and are equally able to work alongside other health practitioners

Betonica is committed to:

  • Providing high quality and comprehensive training in herbal medicine.
  • Continuing to evolve with the up to date research in herbal medicine
  • Developing organically from the input of our wide and varied team of teachers and alumni
  • Listening and developing with our student body
  • Contributing to the herbal community as a whole through supporting professional associations and providing employment opportunities to herbalists
  • Providing accessible clinics both online and in person at subsidised rates
  • Equipping our students with the practical knowledge to go out and support their communities
  • Providing professional and home herbalist training to allow herbal medicine to be practised safely and effectively in the homes of many
  • Supporting, understanding and implementing sustainable practices
  • Encouraging field to dispensary medicine through our home herbalist courses and teaching our students the practical skills needed to grow and make their own medicine

Heartwood Education

www.heartwoodeducation.net

About Heartwood

Overview

Following a change in the landscape of the provision of herbal medicine courses in the UK, Heartwood Education was established by the Herbal Medicine Trust (formerly The National Institute of Medical Herbalists’ Education Fund) in 2016 to provide a range of easily accessible herbal medicine courses that meets the needs of those who want to study herbal medicine in the digital age.

We provide a year-long online Foundation Course in herbal medicine, which can be taken purely for pleasure and self-care, or used as a stepping stone to our Professional Course.

We also offer an Advanced Foundation Course and online CPD courses. Our overall aim is to help grow the resilience of the herbal community and ensure that the public is in safe and effective hands.

The Professional Course

Taking the best of what we have learnt from the provision of herbal medicine degrees in Higher Education and combining it with the experience of a wide range of herbalists and educators and a love of plants, the Professional Course, which can be taken over 4 or 6 years, blends online education with face-to-face clinical training in the real-world practices of herbalists in the UK and beyond.

Professional Course Key Points:

  • A blend of online and in-person learning — lesson material is delivered online whilst clinical training comprises a mix of online and face to face training
  • Taught by expert and internationally renowned herbal practitioners 4 and 6 year courses available — both starting in September
  • Personal tutoring — you will be allocated a personal tutor for the duration of your studies. All our personal tutors are experienced herbalists who will support you on your journey
  • Weekly lessons — released each during each term. You will also have access to a range of academic sources that have been designed to help you in your studies
  • Live webinars — typically each module has two webinars per term.
    There are three terms each year, starting in September, January and
    April

 

Lincoln College (with validation by the Open University)

BSc (Hons) Clinical Herbalism

The BSc (Hons) Clinical Herbalism degree programme provides a comprehensive education and training in the principles and practice of clinical herbalism.

This incorporates the ‘energetic’ understanding of the cause of illness and the therapeutic actions of medicinal plants as well as the orthodox disciplines of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology and Nutrition. It is integrative in approach, linking traditional herbal medicine with modern science and holism.

Our teaching methods include a rich mixture of theoretical study, reflection, the use of intuition and practical experience including professional practice in our on-site Complementary Medicine Clinic. Our aim is to ensure that our graduates become competent and confident practitioners of clinical herbalism.

The course is delivered by block learning, which means that the attendance requirements for the academic modules are met through eight full three day weekends per year, plus attendance at the Complementary Medicine Clinic for clinical training. It is expected that students complete between 20 and 30 hours of additional independent study per week.

Previously Accredited Courses

The School of Herbal Medicine was granted accredited status by the Institute in November 2022, but this was discontinued in February 2025. The School has decided not to apply for reinstatement of their accreditation with the Institute and so, as of 14 February 2025, the herbal training course provided by the School of Herbal Medicine is no longer a course accredited by the Institute. Existing and new graduates (up to those graduating during 2025) are eligible to apply for membership with the Institute and will be assessed on a case by case basis.

 

The following accredited courses are closed to new applicants but graduates of these courses are eligible to apply for membership of the Institute:

Middlesex University – closed to new applications
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine
Postgraduate Diploma Professional Practice Herbal Medicine

Napier University– closed to new applications
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine

Scottish School of Herbal Medicine – closed to new applications
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine

University of Central Lancashire – closed to new applications
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine

University of East London – closed to new applications
BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine

Westminster University – closed to new applications
BSc Herbal Medicine

College of Phytotherapy  – closed to new applications
Tutorial Course

If you graduated more than two years ago from one of the courses above, please contact us for further information about applying to join the Institute.

Accessible Learning

The Institute supports equality and diversity amongst all members and within our accredited training programmes. Ensuring safe practice of herbal medicine requires careful exploration of any potential barriers to practice and then meeting and resolving the challenges they present. The needs of the individual, those they interact with, and the professional standards of the Institute must all be considered.

Where such barriers to practice are encountered by people with disabilities or health-related needs, accredited herbal schools will work with the student to try and provide support that is relevant and proportionate to the needs and resources of both the learner and training programme.

Similarly, when applying for registration with the Institute as a practising member, any potential barriers to safe and effective practice will need to be properly addressed by the practitioner working in partnership with the Institute  to overcome them in ways that are appropriate, proportional and effective for the practitioner and their own scope of practice.

If you are concerned about whether such adjustments will be achievable and practicable for you, we strongly recommend a discussion with your training programme or the Institute at your earliest opportunity.

SHORTER HERBAL COURSES

A shorter course might offer a good first step in understanding whether undertaking a formal qualification could be for you.

We have not assessed or accredited any short courses. However, the following courses are run by schools that run accredited degree (or equivalent) programmes and/or feature our Members within their teaching staff. You may find these to be a good starting point when exploring your options.

Heartwood Foundation Course – online

Introduction to Herbal Medicine (Lincoln College) – Lincoln

Betonica Home Herbalist Course – Somerset

Earth Medicine: Year Long Herbal Foundation – Wild Apothecary Level 1  – Gloucestershire

Earth Medicine: Year long Herbal Foundation – Wild Apothecary Level 2  – Gloucestershire

Scottish School of Herbal Medicine (Correspondence Course and Apprenticeship)  – Remote/Arran

The School of Health Herbal Medicine Foundation Course – Online

Herbal Immersion Course – delivered by The Crafty Herbalist – Online

Herbal Medicine Immersion Course – In Person, delivered by The Crafty Herbalist – Buckinghamshire

Wild Things – Grass Roots Remedies – Online with Additional In-person Options in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Wild Things – Grass Roots Remedies – Edinburgh in Person fortnightly Friday mornings

Wild Things – Grass Roots Remedies – Glasgow in Person monthly Saturdays

Grass Roots Herbal Foundations – Online / Edinburgh. Applications launch May 2026

 

Please note that we would not endorse practising herbal medicine without undertaking a formal qualification.

 

CHILDRENS’ HERBAL COURSES

Junior Herbalist Club (JHC) is a 2-year extracurricular course for children (aged 7-12) which runs for 90 minutes, once a month, for 10 months of the year. The aim of JHC is to help children learn about the healing plants around them in a safe and supervised environment.

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