- Study Mode: Full time
- Location: Uxbridge / Aylesbury
- Duration: Three Years
- Start Date: September 2023 and February 2024
Our aim at Buckinghamshire New University is to produce midwives that at the point of registration are not only safe and effective, but compassionate and skilled autonomous practitioners, with advocacy at the heart of practice. You’ll learn from our experienced lecturers and technicians using state-of-the-art simulation facilities, coupled with time out on clinical placement.
This combined learning approach of theory and practice will prepare you to help mothers and babies through the vulnerable times in their lives. Upon completion of the degree, you’ll be eligible to register with the Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Open Days
We understand that when it comes to deciding where you’d like to study, there are a lot of things to consider. Come along to our Open Day and discover why BNU could be the place for you. You can find out more about your course, meet the course team, and get all your questions answered.
Application Guide
For everything you need to know about applying, check out our Application Guide. You can find useful information for each stage of your application journey – from before you even apply to what to do if you receive an offer, and everything in between.
Why study this subject?
Did you know that 615,557 babies were born in the UK in 2020? (ONS)
Each birth is a unique experience for mother and baby, but midwifery is about so much more than just delivering babies. It is about the professional care of mothers – before, during, and after the birth of their child; helping to keep them safe and comfortable during this intimate and life-changing experience.
There is a real demand for midwives now in hospitals around the country. If you have the compassion, care and courage needed, a degree in midwifery will teach you everything you need to know to kickstart your career.
To support your studies, the UK Government are continuing to provide all midwifery students with a payment of at least £5,000 a year which will not need to be paid back. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund.
Once you graduate from this course, you'll be able to register as a midwife with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), which enables you to practice in the UK.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
Midwives are fast-paced, challenging roles and we’ve designed our BSc (Hons) Midwifery to help equip you with all the skills and knowledge you need to start this exciting career. The curriculum has been developed in conjunction with partner trusts and service users to against the Future Midwife and Continuity of Care and Carer national model.
When studying with us, your education will be delivered locally, and you will also complete a local placement. Not only does this give you an opportunity to live and stay local whilst studying, but it also ensures you will be highly employable upon graduation by the trust where you train.
Students benefit from an excellent standard of teaching provided by staff from the University who have extensive experience, both in practice and education. Our lecturers are passionate about midwifery and maintain close links with practice, ensuring that the programme is always kept up-to-date. In addition, guest speakers often deliver sessions for students within the University to ensure we give a diverse range of views and experiences to our students.
At BNU, we recognise roles in this field are hands-on – that’s why you’ll take part in simulated learning experiences throughout the course using our specialised facilities. This will enable you to recreate authentic scenarios and practise your skills in a safe environment.
50% of your time on the course will be spent on a clinical placement with local trusts across a wide range of maternity services. We work with a range of hospitals across the region and our students are highly respected whilst out in practice.
As a BNU student, you will automatically become a member of Bucks Students’ Union giving you access to a wide range of services that we offer for free. You’ll also be able to join the Midwifery Society where you’ll have the ability to attend a variety of extra-curricular activities and events.
I’m loving the Midwifery course – the blended learning, teaching staff and organisation of the course as a whole has been brilliant!Nealy Collins
What facilities can I use?
The course will be taught out of both Aylesbury and Uxbridge campuses, taking a blended learning approach with on-campus and distance teaching. Both campuses have excellent simulation suites on both sites with up-to-date equipment, allowing for the simulation of midwifery skills enabling the learner to develop in a safe environment.
When on placement, you will be exposed to a wide range of maternity services, along with access to specialist midwives and services for students to develop their skills in caring for women across the continuum of care.
What will I study?
The NMC standards (NMC, 2019) are at the heart of this curriculum. This ensures that during your time at Buckinghamshire New University, you will gain skills that enable you to provide effective, evidence-based and individualised care as a qualified midwife.
Throughout this programme you will gain real life experiences, as well as building up your knowledge of the normal physiological processes to facilitate pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.
Theoretical components of the course will comprise of (but not limited to):
- physiological process of pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum period
- caring for women with additional needs
- neonatal life support
- obstetric emergencies
- anatomy and physiology
- research methods and application to evidence-based practice
- public health and the wellbeing of women in vulnerable client groups
- ethics and how these are applied to the autonomous midwife practitioner
- equity, cultural awareness and understanding health inequalities
On your placement, you’ll be placed across a variety of maternity services within one of our trusts where you will be mentored in the art of individualised woman-centred care. You will gain exposure to a diverse demographic of women, partners and families and become skilled in caring for those with and without additional needs and preferences. You will cover the entire continuum of care, preparing you for the Continuity of Care and Carer model currently being implemented nationally.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Theoretical teaching will consist of a range of lectures, seminars, virtual learning and tutorials. Some of the teaching will be face-to-face, some will be directed or guided learning, and the rest will be independent learning.
50% of your assessments will be theoretical and will include a combination of presentations, essays, exams, OSCE’s (Observed Structured Clinical examinations) and viva’s (oral examinations) to allow for all learners to exceed. The remaining 50% will be practice-based throughout the course, which is conducted by midwifery supervisors and assessors, with support of academic assessors.
The main NHS Trusts we are currently working with for clinical placements include:
Placements Plus
BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.
We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.
Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 112 - 136
Or an Access to Midwifery qualification (minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction, 12 at Merit, and 3 at Pass).
You may find it easier if you have prior knowledge of health/healthcare so we prefer if you have relevant A-Levels, such as: Biology, Health and Social Care, Chemistry, Psychology, Physics, Physical Education, and Sociology. However, it is not essential to have these qualifications.
In addition, you will require five GCSEs including Maths, English and Science at Grade C/4 or above (or equivalent).
Those whom English is not their first language must achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall or equivalent for the International English Language Test Score (IELTS). Find out more on our general entry requirements page.
Applicants will also be required to pass an interview.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
Year 1 Modules
Introduction to Universal Care for Women, Newborns and Families
Becoming an Accountable, Autonomous, Professional Midwife
Midwifery Practice 1
Fundamentals of the Midwife’s Role in Public Health
Introduction to the Additional Needs of Women, Newborns and Families
Year 2 Modules
Inclusive Midwifery Care for Women, Newborns and Families
Midwifery Practice 2
Developing the Midwife to Meet the Additional Needs of Women, Newborns and Families
Systematic Examination of the Newborn
Year 3 Modules
The Midwife as a Colleague and Lead Professional
Preparing the Midwife as Scholar
Midwifery Practice 3
The Midwife as scholar: SIP or Research Proposal
The compassionate Midwife as the Coordinator of Care
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£9,250 per year
International
Overseas/International, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£16,000 per year
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising and skilled leaders and support you in your search to find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
With the implementation of the Better Births report (2016) recommendation of “continuity of care and carer”, you will have the opportunity to join teams of midwives that will care for women across the continuum. This means you will have the ability to work in the community, ward areas and labour wards whilst providing continuity to the women you care for.
Some midwives may also choose to become part of the core staff required in hospitals and support the maternity services that way.
There is a vast array of specialist roles which midwives continue their career in, including but not exhaustive to:
- diabetes
- safeguarding
- bereavement
- vulnerable client groups
- consultant midwives
- education
- multiple pregnancy midwives
- specialist screening.
Many graduates will choose to further educate themselves with Masters in Midwifery or other advanced postgraduate programmes available, leading them to careers in midwifery leadership, or research.
Course leader
