BSc (Hons) Midwifery (with Foundation Year option)

What career could be more rewarding than one that supports women as they bring new life into the world? This course, with an accreditation by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) and UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, will enable you to do just that.

UCAS Code:
B720
Institution:
B50
Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

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With foundation year: B721

Clearing 2021: This course (including the Foundation Year option) is now full for September 2021 entry. You may still apply, but your application will be held on a waiting list. We’ll contact you if a space becomes available and your application is being considered. Call us on +44 (0)1202 966777 or apply online. You can also explore our other Health & Social Care vacancies in Clearing.

Why study BSc (Hons) Midwifery at BU?

You can opt to study at either of our campuses – Bournemouth or Portsmouth.
With a strong emphasis on women-centred care, the course offers an equal balance of theory and practice.
50% of the course will be spent in practice placements, in community and hospital settings, where you’ll learn from your interactions with women, families, midwives and other health professionals.
You’ll be introduced to new equipment and skills in our simulation facilities, including a birthing suite, where you can familiarise yourself with techniques prior to going into practice.
Learn from experienced and knowledgeable registered midwives and other healthcare practitioners.

Find out more about the content of this course.

Funding support: Midwifery students may be eligible for a non-repayable government training grant of at least £5,000 a year. Find out more about the funding.

Foundation Year: We have a Foundation Year option for UK students who do not meet the entry requirements for the degree course. This additional year of study will give you a grounding in the scientific skills needed to prepare you for the Midwifery degree, building your confidence, knowledge and skills for further study. After successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will progress to the full degree and begin your Midwifery study. The Foundation Year will be based at the Talbot Campus, Bournemouth. If you wish to study the degree at the Portsmouth Campus, you will be able to choose to this study location upon completing the foundation year in Bournemouth.

Course accreditations

This course is accredited by UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative and the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), meeting their newest curriculum requirements for midwifery education. Please note that the Foundation Year part of the course does not have these accreditations.

Explore our facilities and see more of the course

Image description — midwifery image - HSS Insight Day

Next start date:

September 2021, September 2022

Location:

Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus, or St Mary's Community Health Campus, Portsmouth (please only apply for one). Foundation year: Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

3 years, including mandatory placements or 4 years with the Foundation Year (1 year, followed by 3 years including mandatory placements)

Accreditations:

Nursing & Midwifery Council, UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative

Required subjects:

Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology.

Entry requirements:

For September 2021 and September 2022 entry: 128 - 144 tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent including 32 points in a required subject. BTEC Extended Diploma of DDM in a required subject. Foundation Year: 48-72 UCAS tariff points.

For more information check out our full entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

For September 2021 and September 2022 entry: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in all other components or equivalent.

For more information check out our international entry requirements.

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators and technicians.

Contact hours and assessment

Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.

Download the programme specification (pdf 872kb)Download the foundation year programme specification (pdf 720kb)

Foundation year

Core units

Academic Study Skills: You will gain the fundamental academic and research skills required for degree level study. The unit will introduce you to a broad grounding in literature searching, literature review, data collection, methodological approach, data analysis and interpretation and ethical practice. It will also support you to begin to develop a critical and analytical approach to your work and identify areas for personal development.
Applied Sciences: You'll gain a basic understanding of some fundamental aspects of science underpinning more specific disciplines, and an appreciation of how various scientific disciplines impact human life. You'll understand the differences between pure and applied science, as well as the roles of different ways applied science can be funded, and implications of these funding mechanisms.
Introduction to Biology: Biology is the study of life and hence knowledge of plant and animal cell biology is fundamental to understanding wider concepts in biology. This unit also introduces key themes in human, environmental and ecological sciences to provide a sound underpinning in knowledge for future studies.
Introduction to Psychology: This unit is designed to prepare you for advanced coursework in psychology. You will complete the unit with a good understanding of the various areas of psychology and how they seek to explain behaviour.
Mathematics in Science: You will build your confidence in mathematics, in order to perform calculations on a range of scientific data from biology, chemistry and psychology and to be able to represent the findings in an appropriate format, including graphs. In order to carry this out, it is essential to be able to convert the data between systems of units and to understand how to present very large and very small numbers in standard form. Basic statistical analysis of tabulated data will be carried out to introduce the concept of confidence limits and familiarisation of statistical testing.
Foundation Year Project: You will carry out a research task on scientific topics chosen by the unit leader which you will be able to conduct a scientific investigation on. You will devise your own investigation and produce a literature review as a final scientific report.

Year 1

Core units

Midwifery Practice 1A: You will be introduced to the foundations of midwifery practice, gaining knowledge, applying skills and interacting with women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. You will also learn about and reflect on professional practice in midwifery.
Midwifery Practice 1B: You will continue to experience midwifery practice in a range of contexts under the supervision of a midwife, and will reflect on your own practice in your role as a student midwife.
Childbirth Journeys: This unit will provide you with an overview of how women and their families experience conception, pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. This will be linked to developing your knowledge around the systems of the body and how they adapt during childbearing. Blended learning, including lectures, seminars, group-work, situation-based learning and input from women and families will be used to link these key areas of learning together.
Fundamental Midwifery Care: During this unit, you will explore holistic midwifery care of the woman and her family throughout the childbirth continuum. In doing so you gain an understanding of evidence-based practice, which incorporates research evidence and responds to women’s choices and preferences to enable care to be in the best interests of mother and baby.
Promoting Health: You will be introduced to the health promotion role of the midwife and explore theoretical aspects of health and wellbeing for the mother, infant and family. You will gain practical experience of health promotion and wellbeing services within the context of society.
Foundations for Professional Practice and Research: This interprofessional unit will provide you with a foundation of the core values and skills that underpin professional practice. You will explore the social determinants of health, professional ethics and researching evidence. This will help you develop skills to prepare for your first practice placement by exploring the importance of respectful, reflective, resilient and person-centred professional practice.

Year 2

Core units

Midwifery Practice 2A: The aim of this unit is to advance your professional practice, by building knowledge and skills through interaction with women and their babies during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. It will also prepare you for offering continuity of care to a small caseload of women, strengthening your skills of multidisciplinary working and autonomous woman-centred practice.
Midwifery Practice 2B: In this unit you will continue to develop your knowledge and skills in practice. Under the supervision of a midwife you will work in partnership with women and their families, health professionals, care workers and other agencies to offer evidence-based information, develop care plans and provide care tailored to women’s circumstances and needs. The unit will support your communication skills and personal wellbeing when caring for women with complex care needs, including bereavement.
Medicines Optimisation and the Midwife: You will acquire the skills necessary for the safe administration of medicines and alternative treatments, gaining an understanding of medicine optimisation, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In this unit you will demonstrate your ability to meet the standards of numeracy required to safely administer medicines.
Complexity in Midwifery Care: You will learn about pre-existing and urgent complications in the childbearing continuum, and their impact on the woman, infant and family. It will support you to develop your knowledge so that can act promptly and appropriately manage complications.
Local, National and Global Health: This unit will build your awareness of issues relating to the health and wellbeing of women, infants and families at local, national and global levels. You will develop skills in providing evidence-based information, while demonstrating respect for diverse social and cultural preferences, and recognising the need for adjustments for physical, cognitive, mental health and language needs.
Research for Professional Practice: Building on foundation studies from year one you will work in an interprofessional group to advance your research understanding and problem-solving skills to engage critically with evidence-based practice.

Year 3

Core units

Midwifery Practice 3A: You will advance and develop your skills and competencies for professional practice, with particular focus on the theoretical, practice and reflective knowledge required to assess newborn health during the physical examination of the newborn.
Midwifery Practice 3B: You will continue to work in practice, consolidating your learning and experience from the whole programme. You will focus on enabling women’s own physical, mental and social resources during childbearing as well as supporting those with complex care needs. The unit will facilitate your progression towards qualifying as a confident and proficient professional, capable of high quality, autonomous midwifery practice within the multiprofessional provision of care.
Evidence for Midwifery Practice: During this unit you will undertake in-depth, independent study, focusing on an aspect of professional practice. As well as developing skills in searching and evaluating the quality of different types of literature, you will learn to analyse and synthesise the findings to identify evidence that will enhance practice.
Care in Midwifery Emergencies: This unit will strengthen your understanding of emergency care in midwifery, enabling you to provide safe and effective care. It will support you in becoming a confident and reflective midwife who can work effectively within a multiprofessional situation.
Leadership and Innovation in Midwifery Care: This unit will develop your knowledge and understanding of leadership skills and qualities, using reflective, analytical and creative approaches to problem solving. You will critically analyse team and organisational leadership across the midwifery and health care continuum and consider the role of the midwife as a leader in care.
Team Working for Service Improvement: During this unit, you will develop skills for working in inter-professional teams to design and develop service improvements for the people who use services and their carers.

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, and you will also undertake group work and written exams. The assessment methods can be found in the programme specification for your course.

Midwifery is a very practical profession and you will largely be assessed on your skills in practice environments, however you will also undertake written coursework allowing you to reflect on your learning and also group work.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready.

Download the programme specification (pdf 872kb)

Facilities

With practical learning being integral to your degree, we provide practice simulation facilities, including a maternity birthing suite, to mirror both clinical and community workplace settings and provide a safe environment.

We’re continuing to enhance our state-of-the-art facilities too – with our new Bournemouth Gateway Building currently under development, that will be the home to our Health & Social Care courses.

Visit our facilities page to find out more – you can also take a 360° tour to get a feel for where you’ll be studying if you’re based on our Lansdowne Campus.

If you’re going to study at our Portsmouth campus, view our Portsmouth page to see facilities there.

See our facilities

UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation

The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards support, externally assess and accredit university programmes for the education that they provide for midwifery and health visiting students, with the aim of improving health professionals’ support for mothers and babies in relation to infant feeding and to encourage early relationships between mother and baby.

Programmes are externally assessed every three years and the BSc (Hons) Midwifery programme at BU has been fully accredited by UNICEF UK BFI since 2011. This demonstrates BU's commitment to providing excellent education in theory and clinical practice in order to ensure that newly qualified midwives are equipped with the knowledge and skills that they need to support breastfeeding and relationship building effectively.

Please note that the Foundation Year part of the course is not accredited.

Placements

The course is designed with blocks of theory and practice throughout the three years. This means you will gain clinical experience in all aspects of midwifery practice. 50% of the course will be spent in practice placements, in community and hospital settings, where you’ll learn from your interactions with women, families, midwives and other health professionals. This percentage of placement is a UK statutory requirement for this course.

Find out more about Health & Social Care placements

Placement content

Your first placement will typically be in the community or a birth centre and starts in week seven of the course. Other clinical experience will include neonatal care, gynaecology and theatre and throughout the course you will have the opportunity to organise a number of visits to areas/organisations of interest to you, in relation to public health, such as: Sure Start programmes, National Childbirth Trust, health promotion departments, etc.

If you are based in Bournemouth, your clinical placements will be located in Poole, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Dorchester, Yeovil, Winchester or Hampshire Hospital. For those based in Portsmouth, placement localities are Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight or Winchester Hospital.

What hours do you work?

When on placement you will experience the full 24 hour shift pattern to include 12-13 hour shifts, weekends and night shifts. You will follow the shift pattern of your allocated placement mentor, which means you cannot chose which days you work. Although this does involve some weekend working, it is highly unlikely that you will be working every weekend.

Due to placement availability, the offered place is in the same clinical locality for three years. You will be assigned midwife link tutors who will provide support during both theoretical and practical experience.

Placements and travel costs

Your learning will be based at our Lansdowne Campus or at our Portsmouth sub-campus, while clinical placements will be in a variety of places within Dorset and Somerset, in order to provide the necessary breadth of experience. This will involve some travel, and may require you to find short-term accommodation in order to participate in block placements.

Although your term time address and method of transport are taken into consideration when allocating your placements there is an expectation that all students will have to travel up to 40 miles to reach their placements. Due to the more rural nature of some of the placements you may be required to travel further, and some travel will be outside normal working hours due to the nature of shift work. You must ensure that you have means to travel to your placement location at unsociable hours and this may require you to use short-term accommodation options in order to participate in your placement. To help you with this, the NHS learning support fund can support you with placement travel expenses and dual accommodation costs if required.

Find out about the NHS Learning Support Fund

Placement localities

Bournemouth
Poole
Salisbury
West Dorset
Yeovil
Winchester/Basingstoke
Portsmouth
Isle of Wight
Dorchester

This course contains a significant amount of placement experience, with this often being undertaken in outlying areas rather than solely in towns/cities. You need to consider this when making your application and be clear about what you will be undertaking.

If your placement locality is to be assigned for the full length of the course, you will need to consider the realities of training within that geographical area and be specific about which would be suitable for you – whilst being flexible may in some circumstances increase your chances of success, being unrealistic will lead to problems. You should also consider carefully where you choose accommodation during your studies.

Although you will be allocated a placement locality, to ensure that you get to experience a range of placement experiences needed for successful course completion, you may be expected to change location for a portion of your placement time.

Don't forget to ensure that you take note of the locality you have been assigned when you receive your offer letter and arrange your accommodation accordingly.

Entry requirements

This course requires 128–144 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent, including 32 points in a required subject. We are happy to consider a combination of qualifications and grades to meet the overall tariff, for example A-levels A*A*C, AAA, A*BC or ABB, BTECs DDD or DDM in a required subject. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to UCAS tariff points.

If you do not meet these you may want to consider our foundation year, a one-year course that will prepare you for degree-level study.

Calculate your UCAS tariff points

2021 and 2022 entry
Numeracy and literacy requirements (e.g. GCSEs)	GCSE English Language or English Literature and Mathematics grade 4 (or grade C in the old grading system). We also accept iGCSEs, Key Skills and Functional Skills and other qualifications at Level 2 of the National Qualifications Framework. See all of the equivalencies.
Required subjects for September 2021 and September 2022	A Level: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology BTEC Nationals: Health & Social Care (Extended Diploma), Applied Human Biology (Extended Certificate or higher), Applied Science (Extended Certificate or higher) Cambridge Technicals: Applied Science (Extended Diploma), Applied Science (for Human Science) (Foundation Diploma or higher), Health & Social Care (Extended Certificate or higher)
Excluded subjects	General Studies (unless accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent in appropriate subjects)
A-level and AS levels	128–144 tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent, including 32 points in a required subject. AS levels are accepted as part of the overall tariff but it must be accompanied by 2 A-levels or equivalent.
Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate – Skills Challenge Certificate	We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by an A-level sized qualification to meet the overall UCAS tariff.
Access to HE Diploma	128–144 UCAS tariff points from any combination of Distinction, Merit and Pass grades. This must include 15 level 3 graded credits in one of our required subjects: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Health & Social Care. An Access to HE Diploma contains 60 credits overall, with 45 graded credits and 15 ungraded credits.
BTEC National	Extended Diploma: Distinction, Distinction, Merit (128 UCAS tariff points) in a required subject. Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff. Foundation Diploma/ 90-credit Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff. Extended Certificate/ Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff.
Cambridge International Pre-U Diploma	128–144 UCAS tariff points, to include a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects including 36 points in a required subject.
Cambridge Technical	Extended Diploma: Distinction, Distinction, Merit (128 UCAS tariff points) in a required subject. Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff. Foundation Diploma / Subsidiary Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff. Extended Certificate / Introductory Diploma: Accepted as part of the overall tariff.
Extended Project Qualification	We accept this qualification, but it must be accompanied by two A-level sized qualifications to meet the overall UCAS tariff.
International Baccalaureate Certificates	128–144 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two Higher Level certificates.
International Baccalaureate (Diploma)	32–34 points including grade H5 in a required subject.
Scottish Highers	128–144 tariff points from a minimum of four Scottish Highers including 32 points in a required subject.
Scottish Advanced Highers	128–144 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of two Scottish Advanced Highers.
T Levels	We will recognise T Level qualifications at a suitable level (and in a suitable subject, if applicable).

Foundation year entry requirements

Numeracy and literacy requirements	There are no GCSE requirements. The foundation year will cover these skills in preparation for degree study.
For September 2021 and September 2022 entry	48–72 UCAS tariff points.
Non-academic entry requirements	Please note: you are required to demonstrate insight into the field of study through relevant experience. Following successful competition of the foundation year, in order to progress from the foundation year onto the degree course you will need to pass an Occupational Health (OH) check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (see the ‘Non-academic entry requirements’ dropdown below for full details). These checks will be undertaken during your foundation year. If you do not pass these checks you will be able to continue the foundation year but will not be able to progress onto a full degree with these requirements.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.	Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry onto Year 1 for September 2021 and September 2022 entry: Chinese Senior High School Graduation Certificate (Huikao) average 80%, or Gaokao 76-85%. Grade depends on the course Hong Kong HKDSE Diploma (4,4,4 – 4,4,5 from three subjects). Grade depends on the course All India Senior School Certificate Examination (Standard XII) 75-85% Italian Esame di Stato with 75-85%. Grade depends on the course Titulo de Bachillerato with 7.5 or 8. Grade depends on the course English language requirements If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally: For September 2021 and September 2022 entry: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in all other components or equivalent. View further information about our English language requirements. If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course? Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry onto Year 1 for September 2021 and September 2022 entry:

Chinese Senior High School Graduation Certificate (Huikao) average 80%, or Gaokao 76-85%. Grade depends on the course
Hong Kong HKDSE Diploma (4,4,4 – 4,4,5 from three subjects). Grade depends on the course
All India Senior School Certificate Examination (Standard XII) 75-85%
Italian Esame di Stato with 75-85%. Grade depends on the course
Titulo de Bachillerato with 7.5 or 8. Grade depends on the course

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

For September 2021 and September 2022 entry: IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in all other components or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course? Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement.

Non-academic requirements

Occupational Health (OH) Checks

This course is is physically and mentally demanding and you will need to be mentally and physically able to undertake your chosen course. Places are offered subject to passing an OH check, and this will be carried out by the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust. Health conditions need to be dealt with on an individual basis e.g. deafness, blindness, eczema (or other dermatological allergic reactions) on exposed areas, epilepsy, back problems, or mental health conditions, eating disorders and other disabilities. These do not automatically exclude you but please ensure that you fully disclose your condition to OH. The University can then consider the recommendations made by OH and whether reasonable adjustments can be made to support you on your chosen course. If you require more guidance please contact us for more information.

You will be required to provide a record of your immunity status or be vaccinated or have the required blood tests. You may need to ask your GP or current OH department or find your childhood vaccination record for details of your past immunisation records. You should be aware that there may be charges made (for which you will be liable) relating to your gaining the appropriate immunity required prior to starting your training programme.

Refusing Immunisations

The University has an expectation that all students will comply with the vaccination programme as it is Public Health England requirement for health care workers to have certain immunisations. This ensures that you will be able to undertake the wide range of training placements that your course will require and aims to keep you, as well as the people in your care as safe as possible. Please note that at this time Covid-19 vaccinations are not a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers and so are therefore not a mandatory requirement for healthcare students either. Occasionally some vaccinations are contraindicated in certain medical conditions. Occupational Health (OH) will advise the University in these cases. The University will consider students on an individual basis. Refusal to have immunisations will may result in the student not being allowed to attend practice placement and being withdrawn from the course. There is no opportunity to appeal against the requirements of the immunisation policy.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (previously known as CRB)

All successful applicants will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barred List check; this will be a condition of offer and will need to be completed prior to commencing the course. Please see the Government website for the most up to date information.

Terms of Expectations

It is important that you understand what will be expected of you as a student studying for both an academic award and professional qualification in midwifery. You must agree to adhere to the Student Midwife Terms of Expectation for studying at Bournemouth University as detailed in this document. Failure to comply with these expectations could lead to disciplinary action.

Work experience

We are looking for applicants that can demonstrate their insight into the role of a Midwife through their work experience (paid or voluntary) in a care/healthcare setting or clear insight in the field of work being applied for. We understand that it may be difficult to gain experience within a Midwifery setting, so we can also consider the following:

Charity work, leadership roles (such as within the Girl Guiding Association or similar).
You may also be able to gain insight into the role through talking to midwives, talking to women who run support groups relating to breastfeeding, child health, or family care
Reading relevant Midwifery journals and showing a clear insight into the role, for example ‘The Practising Midwife’ and accessing relevant websites, for example the NHS Careers website.

We'll use this information to shortlist applicants so it must be evidenced clearly on your UCAS application form in the employment history section and in your personal statement.

Other useful information

AccessBU

AccessBU provides you with the opportunity to tell us about your circumstances that are not always evident in your UCAS application. This widening access initiative also considers relevant criteria such as being in care or if you live in an area with a low participation rate in Higher Education - if you are eligible, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS tariff points below the published tariff.

Apprenticeships

We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred entry

We are happy to consider eligible applicants for deferred entry. If you have already submitted your application, please submit your deferral request through our website.

Direct entry

We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at degree level at other institutions and wish to transfer onto a BU course. Our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) procedure enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BU award, subject to an application process. Please visit our RPL webpage for more information.

Mature applicants

We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

Your application

This course is now full for September 2021 entry (including the Foundation Year). You may still apply, but your application may be held on a waiting list (either prior to or following an interview). If your application is on a waiting list, we will inform you if a space becomes available by the end of June.

Please note: only make one application for either our Bournemouth (main site) or Portsmouth campus. You should not make an application for both.

For Midwifery, we are looking for applicants who:

Have a clear understanding of the profession, including insight into the role of the midwife
Are motivated and committed to undertaking the course
Can demonstrate personal skills and qualities relevant to succeeding on the course, including time management and communication skills.

How to apply

Selecting campus location

Please only make one application for either our Bournemouth (main site) or Portsmouth campus. You should not make an application for both.

When applying through UCAS you will have two options to choose from, either our Portsmouth: St Mary's Community Health Campus or our Main Site, which is our Bournemouth Lansdowne campus. You will need the following codes and information for your application:

Main site: Bournemouth, Lansdowne Campus:

Course code: B720
Institution code: B50
Campus name: Main Site
Campus code: (n/a)

Portsmouth: St Mary's Community Health Campus

Course code: B720
Institution code: B50
Campus name: Portsmouth: St. Mary's Community Health Campus
Campus code: M

What we're looking for

It is recommended that you have some paid or voluntary care/health work experience. If you do not have any, you should be able to demonstrate in your personal statement that you have a clear insight into the nature of caring in a health or social care role.

We understand the difficulty in gaining experience within a Midwifery setting, and suggest the following examples of how you may gain insight into the role of a midwife: talking to midwives, talking to women who run support groups relating to breastfeeding, child health, or family care, reading relevant Midwifery journals, for example ‘The Practising Midwife’ and accessing relevant websites, for example the NHS Careers website.

You will need to demonstrate that you currently have the skills to study at a higher education level (please see the Recommended Qualifications section). Evidence of recent study could be via a formal qualification or work-based activities completed in the last three years.

Bournemouth University sets its own academic entry criteria using the Nursing and Midwifery Council minimum entry requirements as a base and there is strong competition for places.

In the healthcare sector IT is now a vital tool for accessing and maintaining client records, accessing literature to client care and conducting clinically-related research. As a student you will receive an introduction to IT near the beginning of your course and you will be provided with computer access and your own email address.

During the course you will be expected to use your developing IT skills to produce assignments, to conduct literature searches, and to use client-related record systems in the clinical setting.

Our courses are built around the NHS constitution values, and when assessing your application we will take these values into consideration:

Working together for patients
Respect and dignity
Commitment to quality of care
Compassion
Improving lives
Everyone counts.

Find out more about the NHS Constitution principles.

IT skills

In the healthcare sector IT is now a vital tool for accessing and maintaining patient records, accessing literature to client care and conducting clinically-related research. As a student you will receive an introduction to IT near the beginning of your course and you will be provided with computer access and your own email address.

During the course you will be expected to use your developing IT skills to produce assignments, to conduct literature searches, and to use client-related record systems in the clinical setting. Following instruction some of your study will be undertaken through web-based learning tools, for example by participating in online discussions.

Selection methods

We select candidates for this course by looking at your application. For that reason, make sure your application really stands out from the crowd, and leave us in no doubt as to why you should be joining BU. We may ask you to provide a portfolio and/or take part in an online interview. You can find some handy hints about filling in your UCAS form on our how to apply web pages.

What to expect at an interview

Your interview will take place online, on a free video communication platform.

A member of the Admissions Team will email you with joining instructions and information about what to expect at interview.

Your individual interview is where you will have the opportunity to tell us a little more about yourself and why you would be a great candidate for the course. You will be scored using a common template and offers will be made based on these scores.

If you are invited to interview, you will also be able to access online on-demand information presentations, course talks, virtual campus tours and more which you can watch before your interview. On the day of your interview you may also be able to join a live chat-room where you can ask questions to our current student ambassadors and other members of staff.

Additional reference

In addition to the reference on your UCAS form, once we’ve received your application we may contact you to ask for a second reference; depending on the course you’ve applied for, this may be an academic reference, or from an employer or person who knows you in a professional capacity.

Find out more about interviews with the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

Our offer making process

Our offer-making will typically be based on your most recent qualifications, including any required subjects where applicable. We'll consider all qualifications when assessing your application, although these may not be part of our offer.

If you do not meet the criteria of your original offer, we may still offer you a place. We will review your whole application and consider all academic qualifications (including those not in the offer) to see if you have the academic potential to succeed on the course. If we feel the answer is yes, we will confirm your place.

How we assess your application

We look at individual applications and make a tailored offer based on your potential to succeed on the course considering a range of factors, including your academic achievements, work and other experience, reference and personal statement, and in some cases, your performance at an interview or a portfolio review. Typically, we make an offer at the bottom of the tariff range.

AccessBU gives you the chance to tell us more about you and your life experiences if you haven’t had the same educational opportunities as other applicants. If you are eligible for AccessBU, your offer could be up to 16 UCAS Tariff Points below the published tariff.

When do you find out if you have been successful?

For those who do attend an Applicant Selection Day, your file will be reviewed and a decision will be made on whether to offer you a place on the programme. Only once we have completed all interview days will applicants be selected, and offers will be made through the UCAS system. Decisions are typically made and updated on UCAS by the end of March.

You can find further information about interviews with the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences here.

Applying for direct entry to the 2nd or final year

Please note: Unfortunately we cannot currently accept applications for direct entry into the second or final year of this course in September 2021, due to the course being full at these points of entry. However, during the Clearing period from 1 July 2021 this position may change so please contact our Clearing line which will be advertised during this time. Register your interest for Clearing 2021.

We have recently reviewed this course to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, and to meet the NMC's newest curriculum requirements for midwifery education. As the aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, teaching, learning and assessment methods may have changed as a result of the review, you can find the relevant information for your year of entry in the appropriate programme specification.

2nd or final year new entrants programme specification (pdf 882kb)

Careers

Working as a midwife is incredibly rewarding and as a graduate from this course you will have a wide range of career opportunities. Our students have an excellent record of gaining positions within NHS Hospitals, Community Trusts and in the private healthcare sector. You don't have to stay in the UK though, as this qualification is recognised widely around the world, allowing you to travel and make a real difference wherever you settle.

We have excellent links with service users and service providers, allowing you to build relationships before you finish your course and enhance your employment prospects as a result.

Typical job roles and industries

Further study

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section, including NHS finance information. That’s also where you’ll find information about the scholarships and bursaries on offer.

Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise, and we’re committed to ensuring there are no hidden extra costs while you’re at university – that’s why we’re clear about what you can expect us to cover, and what your cost of living will be.

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

Professional body accreditation of the course.
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Occupational Health Services and checks, but you will be charged if you do not attend Occupational Health appointments without giving appropriate notice. Where the need for additional vaccinations arises, you may be required to cover the costs of these.
We will provide you with one standard set of uniform. Additional uniform items must be ordered by students, and this will incur an additional cost. Students will need to purchase appropriate footwear.
Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity.
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and/or fieldwork and non-financial support whilst on placement.
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service.
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces.
Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow.
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme.
Disability and additional learning support.
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills.
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.
Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Travel costs to and from the University campus for taught sessions (and occupational health referrals if required). An annual bus pass is included in your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation.
Travel costs to and from your placement which could be based at various locations across the southwest region. Eligible students may claim reimbursement towards travel and accommodation costs from the NHS. Please visit the NHS Business Services Authority website for more information. International students will need to cover these costs in addition to their course fee.
There may be an additional charge for replacement uniforms.
SportBU membership.

Repeat units

Funding for midwifery students

All midwifery students may be eligible for a government training grant of at least £5,000 a year which you will not need to pay back. The funding will be given to all new and continuing degree-level nursing, midwifery and many allied health students from September 2020.

Students will receive at least £5,000 a year, with further funding available for eligible students, including:

Parental Support allowance of £1,000, on top of the £1,000 already on offer.
Up to £1,000 specialist subject payment for subjects such as mental health nursing.
A regional incentive payment in areas of the country which have seen a decrease in people accepted on some nursing, midwifery and allied health courses.

Students will not need to apply for specialist subject or incentive payments as they will be automatically added to their account, if eligible.

This means that some students could be eligible for up to £8,000 per year, with everyone getting at least £5,000.

Find out more about the funding

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Susan Mant – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Susan has been a midwife since 1981, practicing mainly in a consultant-led unit, providing low and high care. She is an experienced midwife and teacher and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has been teaching on the undergraduate and post-registration programmes for some years.

She is currently working towards a PhD and her study, a narrative inquiry, aims to explore the experiences of newly qualified Sign-off Midwife Mentors. This links with her teaching role in post-registration education around mentorship. Other interests involve a Masters study exploring clinicians’ experience of the Zavanelli Manoeuvre and an interest in the management of physiological breech birth and pre-eclampsia.

Current research interests revolves around Sign-off Midwife Mentorship (and the experience of newly qualified sign-off midwife mentors).

View Susan Mant's profile

Dr Jane Fry – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Jane has been a practicing midwife for 30 years. The majority of this practice has centred in the community due to a passion for enabling women to experience normal birth and holistic care.

Her scholarship in education is linked with student caseloading and she has lead and assisted with the student caseloading project at Bournemouth University which has attracted national and international interest and has resulted in a number of commissioned publications and conferences. This interest and scholarship is linked to her belief that students can truly learn to appreciate and promote woman-centred care through such an educational initiative, she also regularly caseloads women in her local practice area.

Her scholarship in practice is focused on the provision of woman centred care and promotion of salutogenesis, holism and normality of birth. Her research interests and publication areas of physiological birth and intuition as an authoritative form of knowledge reflect these ideals. Her methodological scholarship is centred in phenomenology.

View Dr Jane Fry's profile

Dr Juliet Wood – Lecturer in Midwifery, Course lead

Juliet has a wide variety of clinical experience in hospital, community, midwifery-led and independent team midwifery both in the UK and in South Africa where she also lectured at the University of Cape Town.

She was a lead researcher on a large-scale randomised controlled trial on the management of the third stage of labour and her PhD was a discourse analysis of blood loss in normal childbirth. She is particularly interested in maintaining normality in maternity care, promoting continuity of care and thinking about midwifery from an international perspective.

View Dr Juliet Wood's profile

Dr Alison Taylor – Deputy Head of Department & Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Alison has thirty years of clinical experience, working in all aspects of clinical practice. Areas of scholarship include infant feeding and using audio visual data in research and education. She is lead lecturer for infant feeding on a number of health programmes and successfully directed the curriculum so that BU has achieved the UNICEF Baby Friendly Award for University standards for the BSC (Hons) Midwifery programme.

Her PhD explored mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding recorded in video diaries. She is currently midwifery lead for a joint inter-professional newborn feeding clinic at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic where student midwives and chiropractic interns work together to support breastfeeding mothers and babies.

View Dr Alison Taylor's profile

Dr Catherine Angell – Head of Department, Principal Academic, Lead Midwife for Education

Catherine is proud to have once been a Bournemouth University midwifery student herself. She worked in practice before undertaking her PhD, after which she became a midwifery lecturer and researcher.

She is currently Programme Lead for the Midwifery programmes and teaches a diverse number of subjects across the programme including evidence-based practice, fetal monitoring and aspects of postnatal care. She also co-leads the Faculty’s inter-professional research unit.

Her research interests include education and learning, practice development and infant feeding. She supports a number of PhD students, researching midwifery care and infant health in the UK and in Nepal.

View Dr Catherine Angell's staff profile

Dr Luisa Cescutti-Butler – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Luisa was a nurse (trained in South Africa) prior to undertaking midwifery training in the UK. From that moment on, she never looked back as she loved midwifery. Over the years, she has specialised as a premature baby midwife working to support mothers and their partners to care for their sick newborn babies in neonatal intensive care units.

Her knowledge and expertise is now focused around enhancing student learning around women who become premature mothers and caring for their babies.

She has recently completed her PhD which used a feminist lens to explore women’s experiences of caring for their late preterm babies. Her other interests lie in examination of the newborn which she teaches regularly to midwives and student midwives. Her research interests revolve around women’s experiences, preterm issues, practice development and examination of the newborn.

View Dr Luisa Cescutti-Butler's profile

Debbee Houghton – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Debee has been a registered midwife since 1986, mainly working at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital midwifery-led unit from 1992-2004 as a registered midwife and clinical coordinator. Working in a midwife-led unit resulted in a reappraisal of her philosophy of midwifery and consequently she has a keen interest in facilitating normal birth.

During her time at Bournemouth University, she completed her advanced diploma in nursing and her Bsc (Hons) midwifery practice which led her into education and her consequent post as a midwifery lecturer. While at the university, Debee has been involved in numerous units but currently leads on the year two medicine management unit which inspired her to enrol on the Professional Doctorate in October 2013.

The focus of her research is around medicine management in midwifery and the title is ‘An interpretive phenomenological study exploring midwives experiences of medicine management in contemporary UK midwifery practice to enhance safety’. She has now completed her progression transfer and is starting to interview midwives.

The rationale for her doctorate is that there is limited research into midwives and medicines and that, due to the complexity of the childbirth continuum, pharmaceuticals, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and therapeutics are increasingly part of a registered midwives every day practice, therefore midwives need evidence-based knowledge to ensure women’s care is not compromised.

View Debbee Houghton's profile

Denyse King – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Denyse is a registered midwifery lecturer teaching midwifery two days per week, and a registered public health practitioner, working two days per week for her local Public Health Department.

She is currently researching the effectiveness of MaCO as a learning experience from learners ranging from nursery nurses through healthcare students, and qualified professionals such as school nurses, health visitors, midwives and GPs.

View Denyse King's profile

Dr Liz Davey – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

During her time as a staff midwife, Liz's interest in community services became a passion and she took a role as a community midwife within the New Forest area in 1987.

Here, her focus on normality and continuity enabled women to be cared for throughout antenatal through labour and birth and onto postnatal episodes within a model of shared caseloading with a small team of midwives. Women were able to birth at home, at local birth centres and at the maternity hospital, sharing care with GPs and other primary health services as well as obstetricians where care became higher-risk.

Within education, Liz has worked at Bournemouth University across both pre and post-registration programmes since 1999 for a broad range of topic areas including embryology, health and wellbeing, individualised care, medicines management, lifelong learning, clinical skills and mental health during childbearing.

As a link lecturer Liz continues to support local maternity services and the mentoring of students in clinical practice settings. Liz is currently undertaking research for the Professional Doctorate exploring women’s experience of aquanatal groups during pregnancy.

View Dr Liz Davey's profile

Sara Stride – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Dana Colbourne – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Dr Daisy Wiggins – Lecturer

Laura Iannuzzi - Lecturer in Midwifery

Dr Dominique Mylod - Lecturer in Midwifery

Course changes

Changes in 2021

Date	Changes to this course
26/02/2021	Where the change was made: Course re-validation Change: Core units, placement information Previous text: n/a

Changes in 2020

Date	Changes to this course
15/10/2020	Where the change was made: required subjects Change: A Level: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology BTEC Nationals: Health & Social Care (Extended Diploma), Applied Human Biology (Extended Certificate or higher), Applied Science (Extended Certificate or higher) Cambridge Technicals: Applied Science (Extended Diploma), Applied Science (for Human Science) (Foundation Diploma or higher), Health & Social Care (Extended Certificate or higher) Previous text: A Level: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology BTEC: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Health & Social Care

Date

Changes to this course

15/10/2020

Where the change was made: required subjects

Change:

A Level: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology
BTEC Nationals: Health & Social Care (Extended Diploma), Applied Human Biology (Extended Certificate or higher), Applied Science (Extended Certificate or higher)
Cambridge Technicals: Applied Science (Extended Diploma), Applied Science (for Human Science) (Foundation Diploma or higher), Health & Social Care (Extended Certificate or higher)

Previous text:

A Level: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Health & Social Care, Human Biology, Physics, Psychology, Sociology
BTEC: Applied Human Biology, Applied Science, Health & Social Care

Changes in 2019

Date	Changes to this course
30/07/2019	Where the change was made: Course details and programme specification Change: - Reduced number of credits within the Level 6 Evidencing Practice unit from 40 to 20 - New unit added on Year 3 - 'Midwifery Emergencies' (created using the 20 credits taken from Evidencing Practice) - The OSSEs (objective structured simulated examinations) from Clinical Practice 3 become the assessment - Assessment reduced: Level 6 Clinical Practice 3 unit to the clinical practice assessment (OPAL), changed from 50%/50% to 100%, and reduce the number of ILOs from 6 to 3 Previous text: n/a

Date

Changes to this course

30/07/2019

Where the change was made: Course details and programme specification
Change:
- Reduced number of credits within the Level 6 Evidencing Practice unit from 40 to 20
- New unit added on Year 3 - 'Midwifery Emergencies' (created using the 20 credits taken from Evidencing Practice)
- The OSSEs (objective structured simulated examinations) from Clinical Practice 3 become the assessment
- Assessment reduced: Level 6 Clinical Practice 3 unit to the clinical practice assessment (OPAL), changed from 50%/50% to 100%, and reduce the number of ILOs from 6 to 3

Previous text: n/a

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
06/04/2018	Where the change was made: Exceptional assessment regulations Change: Paragraph added: “The ‘Carrying Credit’ rule does not apply to this programme, i.e. students who have failed 20 credits, or exceptionally 40 credits, may not progress to the next stage of the programme”. Previous text: n/a

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
29/09/2017	Where the change was made: 2018 entry requirements Change: 2018 Access course tariff points are 128 - 134 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades. There was a mistake written previously in the grades required. Previous text: 118 - 134 tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit, Pass grades
6/9/2017	Where the change was made: Key facts and 2018 entry requirements Change: 2018 entry requirements have changed to 128 - 136 tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A-levels or equivalent including 32 points in a required subject. Previous text: The entry requirements for this course are 128 tariff points from 3 A Levels including 32 points from a required subject.
6/9/2017	Where the change was made: 2018 entry requirements Change: 2018 GCSE entry requirements have changed to This course requires GCSE English and Mathematics grade C (or grade 4 in the reformed GCSE grading) or equivalent qualifications. Previous text: This course requires a minimum of 4 GCSEs grades A* - C (or grade 4 or above in the newly reformed GCSE grading) including Maths and English or equivalent qualifications. A science subject is preferred.
19/12/2017	Where the change was made: Within the programme specification under "Progression" Change: Clarification of existing Non Standard Assessment Regulations Previous text: To proceed to Year 2, students must normally achieve 100 Level 4 credits and 20 Level 5 credits. To proceed to Year 3, students must normally achieve 100 Level 4 credits, 80 Level 5 credits and 60 Level 7 credits

What our students say

Jennie Hallissey

One of my favourite aspects of the course is the student caseloading project. This part of the course allows students to carry their own caseload of women who they care for antenatally, in labour and following the birth.

Hear from our alumni

Christopher Butt

One of the most difficult things I've done in my life, but oh so worth it when you facilitate the birth of a baby and be part of the most joyous occasion in a family’s life.

What our students say

Kathryn Mercer

The support and guidance has enabled me to feel confident and competent throughout my time on practice, and I'm only a first year! The balance of independence and support is absolutely perfect.

Statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats and BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.

BSc (Hons) Midwifery (with Foundation Year option)

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Stories from the frontline

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Chat with a student

Course details

Foundation year

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

How you will be assessed

Programme specification

Facilities

UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation

Placements

Placement content

What hours do you work?

Placements and travel costs

Placement localities

Entry requirements

Foundation year entry requirements

International entry requirements

English language requirements

Non-academic requirements

Work experience

Other useful information

Your application

Selecting campus location

What we're looking for

IT skills

Selection methods

Our offer making process

How we assess your application

Applying for direct entry to the 2nd or final year

Careers

Typical job roles and industries

Further study

Costs and fees

No hidden extras

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Repeat units

Funding for midwifery students

Our staff

Susan Mant – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Dr Jane Fry – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Dr Juliet Wood – Lecturer in Midwifery, Course lead

Dr Alison Taylor – Deputy Head of Department & Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Dr Catherine Angell – Head of Department, Principal Academic, Lead Midwife for Education

Dr Luisa Cescutti-Butler – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Debbee Houghton – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Denyse King – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Dr Liz Davey – Senior Lecturer in Midwifery

Sara Stride – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Dana Colbourne – Lecturer (Academic) in Midwifery

Dr Daisy Wiggins – Lecturer

Laura Iannuzzi - Lecturer in Midwifery

Dr Dominique Mylod - Lecturer in Midwifery

Course changes

Changes in 2021

Changes in 2020

Changes in 2019