Course in brief

Midwives provide essential care, advice and support for women and their families during pregnancy, labour and early post-natal stages.

As a professional midwife you will enjoy a career with unique challenges and rewards; you will share people’s most personal experiences and help to shape them. You will provide essential care, advice and support for women and their family during pregnancy, labour and the post-natal period. 

To thrive in this role you need to be adaptable, compassionate and dependable, with a sound knowledge of everyday midwifery issues and potential complications. This course enables you to develop core midwifery competencies, equips you to confidently apply theory to practice and leads to eligibility for registration as a midwife.

To ensure you can confidently apply theory to practice, you will spend 50% of the year on placements in varied health settings, and simulate care and delivery in our Flexible Learning Environment and new midwifery care and delivery suite, which includes a replica hospital room and home birthing room. 

The recognition that patients come first in everything the NHS does, and the values of the NHS constitution – respect, dignity, compassion and working together for patients – are embedded in our curriculum.

When you choose to study Midwifery with us, you'll also have the opportunity to gain a global perspective on an overseas placement.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne

UCAS code B720

Full-time 3 years

This course meets NMC standards and course graduates are eligible for registration.

We are a top 10 university for world-leading research impact in allied health professions, nursing and pharmacy (REF 2014)

Applying for 2018

This course is closed for 2018 applications. Applications for 2019 open in the autumn. In the meantime check out our summer open days for students thinking about studying with us in 2019.

Book your open day place

Apply now with UCAS

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course and should be used as a general guide. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer we may make, if your application is successful.

A-levels
BBB. Must include a science, psychology or sociology at grade B.

BTEC
DDM in a health or science subject.

International Baccalaureate
30 points. Must include a science subject. 

Access to HE Diploma
pass with 60 credits overall. Health studies, nursing or science. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 30 credits at distinction.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least five GCSEs including maths, English and science. Students with an Access diploma require maths and English. 

English language requirement
IELTS 7.0 overall, with 7.0 in writing – NMC requirement.

Other qualifications
A wide range of other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis.

For this course which leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a midwife, you must demonstrate the following:
  • completion of 10 years' general education    
  • successful completion of literacy and numeracy assessments during the interview process
  • evidence of study within the last five years    
  • evidence of commitment to the profession
  • provision of a personal statement which demonstrates the ability and desire to become a midwife
  • an academic reference indicating potential to study at degree level and indicating the applicant is of good character
  • a character reference, which may come from an employer if appropriate, or other appropriate person, indicating good communication skills, caring qualities and a positive attitude
  • passing of occupational health and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
  • ability to meet travel requirements to attend placements
  • ability to follow a shift pattern that could cover any part of a 24-hour seven-day cycle.

Due to the nature of our midwifery degree, all applicants invited for interview must attend in person. 

Please note that this course does not accept applications from those wishing to apply for deferred entry.

Course in detail

Course structure

You will be based at the Eastbourne campus, with clinical placements taking place at a range of locations across Sussex including Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Haywards Heath and Worthing. 

You will develop core midwifery competencies in areas including human biology and relationships, midwifery practice and its professional framework. As you progress through the course, you will learn about more complex medical or obstetric needs and referral of mother or baby.

You’ll share learning with other health specialisms, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration, sharing knowledge and expertise. 

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through our applicant portal.

 

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Year 1

In year 1 you will be introduced to midwifery practice and its professional framework. 

Modules

  • Introduction to Midwifery
  • The Physiological Basis of Midwifery Assessment 
  • The Human Body in Childbearing
  • Introduction to the Art and Evidence of Midwifery Practice
  • Developing Midwifery Practice
  • Human Relationships in Midwifery Practice
Midwifery students and lecturer with baby manikan

Year 2

Year 2 introduces you to the concepts of complex medical or obstetric needs and appropriate referral of mother or baby to other health professionals or agencies as required.

Modules

  • Public Health for Midwifery Practice
  • Developing Competent Midwifery Practice
  • Developing the Art and Evidence for Midwifery Practice
  • Altered Health in Childbearing
  • Midwifery Emergencies
  • Appreciating the Research Process in Midwifery
Midwifery students in hospital setting

Final year

The final year provides you with further opportunities to develop your midwifery skills, working closely with other healthcare professionals.

Modules

  • Enquiring into Midwifery Practice
  • Developing Proficient Midwifery Practice
  • Preparation for Autonomous Midwifery
  • Midwifery Leadership

Options*

  • Valuing Individual Culture in Midwifery
  • International Midwifery 

*Option modules are indicative and may chance, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Simulation suite

Facilities

Flexible Learning Environment 

The Flexible Learning Environment is an adapted home environment in a residential location where you'll be able to practise skills and learn from other students while taking part in a realistic training experience.

Every room is fitted with cameras and microphones, so that students can be directed and monitored from the control room while the observation room provides the opportunity to review, playback and debrief.

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Clinical Skills and Simulation Rooms

As a Midwifery student you'll benefit from practising skills in an environment that simulates midwives' real-life professional experiences. Learning by simulation means you will be confident in your ability to apply your knowledge and skills in your day-to-day professional life.

You'll have access to two birthing simulation rooms – a hospital and home environment – both with recording equipment and monitors which can feed through to a high fidelity data projector in the classroom so your lecturers and fellow students can give feedback on your progress. 

The hospital room includes a replica hospital bed, inflatable birthing pool, baby cot, birthing couch, sling and birthing ball. The home environment room is a replica lounge.

Midwifery facilities

Study abroad

Within the School of Health Sciences we are committed to providing a global perspective to nursing and midwifery education. As such we offer a range of international English-speaking exchange placements to Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice students. All of our international placements are fully supported and academically credited.

International placements are only with partners with which we have an agreement – this ensures a good quality learning opportunity and safe experience.

There are no costs for organising the placement for students who wish to travel to Europe, USA (Midwifery) or Australia (Nursing). If you wish to experience nursing in Africa, Asia or South America then your trip will be arranged through the Work the World organisation, for which there is a cost.

Europe

Observational two- to three-week placements in year 2 with one of our partner universities:

  • Malardalen University, Sweden
  • University College Northern Denmark, Denmark
  • University of Illinois, USA
  • Edith Cowen University, Perth, Australia

Two-week observational placement with one of 25 institutions across 13 European countries in our European Nursing Module Network. For more information on our European partners and network please visit the European Nursing Module Network website.

International

  • Observational placements of up to three weeks in Africa, Asia or South America through the Work the World organisation.

We provide guidance with sourcing accommodation, visas, occupational health checks and insurance. You will be connected with a key personal contact for each partner and have access to online support from the university whilst you are abroad.

All students who take part in a study abroad experience identify its immense value, whether through hosting visiting students or participating in an exchange. We share all students' experiences through our newsletters and through the student ambassador project.

If you wish to learn more about these opportunities you are welcome to discuss this at interview.

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Course statistics

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They are updated following course changes, and give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course.

Programme specification

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Careers and employability

The Midwifery BSc(Hons) will provide you with an excellent foundation for work in a range of contexts providing midwifery care and for further professional development in clinical practice, education and research.

This course is offered in conjunction with local NHS trusts. Many of our graduates find that they leave university with a firm offer of employment from the NHS trust which provided their practice placements. The course also prepares you for further academic study at masters and doctoral level.

Newborn

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

Funding arrangements for students starting this course from September 2017

From 1 September 2017, new students from England starting this course will have access to the standard government student finance support package which consists of loans to meet the cost of tuition fees and a means-tested loan for living costs. In addition, supplementary funding that is means tested as appropriate includes: travel costs for practice and clinical placements, dual accommodation costs during practice and clinical placements, childcare allowances and exceptional hardship fund. You can find helpful and up-to-date information about these changes on the Funding Clinic website.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2018–19.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Eastbourne

Sunny, friendly and relaxed, there’s lots to do and enjoy in Eastbourne – music and arts festivals, theatre, galleries and sports – and all against the backdrop of the beach and the beautiful South Downs.

Eastbourne hosts some major sporting events, from Eastbourne Extreme – one of the biggest extreme sports festivals in the UK – to Eastbourne International, an annual tennis tournament where some of the world’s finest players prepare for Wimbledon.

Eastbourne has a close-knit community feel. From where ever you are on campus every place you need to go is around 15 minutes away on foot – the beach, the town centre and the South Downs. There is a great selection of clubs, pubs, restaurants and shops and always plenty of student-friendly deals on offer.

   Eastbourne Festival

Campus where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Located in one of the sunniest towns in the UK, our Eastbourne campus sits between the hills of the South Downs National Park and the south coast.

The campus has extensive sporting facilities, including a sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, swimming pool, three gyms, a dance studio and an artificial training pitch. For sport and exercise students, there are also exercise physiology labs, a human movement laboratory and an environmental chamber.

Professional-standard facilities on this campus include the Leaf Hospital Clinic, specialist practical skills rooms, culinary arts studio and accredited sports science laboratories.

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Accommodation

Eastbourne

Our Eastbourne hall of residence, Welkin Halls, is in the residential Meads area, next to the Hillbrow and Welkin site and within walking distance of Darley Road. The train station is about 20 minutes away on foot.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. We recommend Unihomes when you’re balancing learning with placements, shifts and other commitments, because they give you more choice and flexibility.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages, and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accomeastbourne@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 643810.

Welkin Halls

Welkin bedroom


  

Maps

house Accommodation
campus University building

Eastbourne campus map

Find out more

Nursing and midwifery news

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Student views  

Suzi Impett

"I am just starting the final year of my course and have really enjoyed it so far. The biggest challenge for me has been the academic side but the support I’ve had from my personal tutor and my fellow students has been great and has really helped to give me confidence.

"The aspect I have enjoyed most has been shadowing a qualified midwife in the community, working with women from the moment they book with the midwife through to when they give birth. When I qualify I would like to do some voluntary midwifery work abroad. After that I might go on to do a masters but to be honest more than anything I just want to deliver some babies and I’ll be happy with that!"

Suzi Impett

Michelle Best

"I’m glad I made the choice to enter the midwifery profession. I’m thoroughly in my element!  My course is taught at level 3, which enables evidence-based practice to be analysed and debated.

"The course structure is fantastic and the lecturers are really passionate. The local hospital placements are really positive – every midwife I have encountered loves their profession."

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