Midwifery

On this practice-based course, you learn to care for women/birthing people through pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period, conducting at least 40 supervised births. The degree spans 39 weeks each year and prepares you for professional practice through roleplay, scenario-based learning and placement experience. Theory and practice are woven together so you apply the knowledge you learn in the classroom to the clinical skills you are developing.

Course accreditation

All our Nursing and Midwifery courses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). On successful completion of your course, you can register with the NMC as a midwife.

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Access to the latest medical/health equipment and facilities at regional hospitals and community health settings during placements

• A new, fully immersive simulation floor in our STEM building, preparing you to respond to and manage clinical situations and scenarios

• Simulation wards with a range of medical-grade, high-fidelity training mannequins, including an infant mannequin, to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment

Career-powered links

We work in close partnership with our local practice learning partners, who provide placement experiences for students. Our practice learning partners are sited across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.

To ensure your learning meets the benchmark set for care providers, our healthcare courses have been developed in collaboration with our regional healthcare providers, health authorities, service users and students.

We also work with NHS England, East of England and Thames Valley.

Your student experience

Learn to recognise and respond to an expectant mother/person’s needs – physical, psychological, cultural and socio-economic – while supporting the family.

Your classroom learning is delivered by experienced registered midwifery lecturers; on clinical placements, benefit from the support of a practice supervisor.

We deliver 75% face-to-face teaching so your lecturers are on site to support you while you get to meet and exchange ideas with other healthcare students.

Midwifery students gain a wider range of expertise through inter-professional learning with other disciplines.

Explore the wider role of the midwife within primary- and secondary-care settings, and gain experience on non-maternity wards to learn how pregnancy affects - and is affected by - a variety of medical conditions.

Clinical specialists from our partnership trusts come to campus to support your learning so your studies are underpinned by the latest research and practice.

Benefit from extra-curricular activities that expand your knowledge base and confidence: our annual student conference is open to all year groups; and we have an active, lively Student Union Midwifery & Apprenticeship Society.

On placement, you will undertake a mix of early, late, long days and night shifts to ensure you experience typical shift patterns for a healthcare professional.

Course modules

Year 1
Human development: preconception to birth – Human development from conception to early childhood. Understanding universal care for women, newborn infants and their families – Providing care from pre-pregnancy to the early weeks of a newborn infant’s life. Being an accountable, professional midwife – Explore the role of the midwife and apply current professional standards within midwifery. Enhancing midwifery practice through public health – The midwife’s contribution to population health, promoting psychological and physical health and wellbeing. Participating in midwifery care – Undertake a supervised maternity placement or simulation, practising your skills in antenatal, labour and postnatal care.

Year 2
Developing as an accountable, professional midwife – Build the skills to become a midwife, with a focus on coordination of care and safe medications management. Enhancing quality and safety through evidence – Learn to evaluate research evidence to help women and birthing people make informed care decisions. Providing individualised midwifery care – Identify and respond to the individual care needs of birthing people, families and newborns during the transition to parenthood. Additional and first-line management of midwifery care – Recognise situations that call for urgent action and be able to take the lead, working smoothly with other teams. Contributing to midwifery care – Practice your skills in antenatal, labour and postnatal care on a supervised maternity placement.

Year 3
Systematic examination of the newborn – Learn how to examine and assess newborn infants, working to NIPE standards. The future midwife as a teacher and leader – Explore future career paths in leadership and management within midwifery. Promoting excellence: midwifery project – Develop a research question and proposal in an area of midwifery of interest to you. Demonstrating proficiency in midwifery care – Build your antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care skills through a supervised maternity placement.

We make every effort to ensure the information here is accurate; however, for the most up-to-date information, visit our website.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Nursing and Midwifery Council