- UCAS Code: B72F
- Level: Foundation
- Starting: January 2021
- Study mode: Full Time (1 year foundation followed by 3 year degree)
- Location: City South (and Clinical Placements)
Studying with us in 2020/21
While the majority of our teaching will be carried out face-to-face this year, you will be taught as part of a blended learning approach. This means that you will have a mix of on-campus and online learning. Find out more about learning and teaching in 2020/21.
Offering the unique satisfaction of a career caring for the health of the mother, baby and her family, our excellent Midwifery course with a Foundation Year, will prepare you to become a confident and compassionate midwife.
Tailor your Health Sciences Degree
When you successfully complete your Foundation Year, you will be able to progress onto a range of Undergraduate courses at the Birmingham City School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing and Midwifery. These include:
- BSc (Hons) Midwifery
- BSc (Hons) Nursing - Adult
- BSc (Hons) Nursing - Mental Health
Why choose a foundation year course?
By studying a foundation year in Health Sciences, your first year will be spent learning a wide range of broad subject areas which then open up opportunities for you to specialise further in your next year – which would be the first year of a full degree programme.
You will study very broad subjects in your foundation year, which is designed to prepare you for a range of courses and not just one particular BSc degree.
So although you are studying a BSc in a specific course – BSc Midwifery – the foundation year sets you up for a number of other possible degrees starting the following year. It may be that you don’t end up doing a degree in precisely the same subject as your foundation year.
This flexibility is one of the great things about the foundation year category - Health Sciences, allowing you to find out more about your interests and talents before focusing on a three year degree. The foundation year also helps us at BCU to make sure we help to match you to the degree that fits you best.
Please note: entry requirements for degree course
Upon completion of your Foundation Year, if your chosen course is regulated by a professional body such as the National College for Teaching and Leadership, you will be required to successfully complete the University’s selection process for the specific programme which will include an interview in order to proceed onto year one of the full degree programme. Entry onto year one of the degree programme will also be subject to a satisfactory DBS and Occupational Health Assessment.
What's covered in the course?
Throughout this course you experience a mixture of teaching, self-directed learning and practice-based clinical placements, through which you are expected to participate in the care of child-bearing women and their babies.
Placements are an essential part of this Midwifery course. You do not need to have previously worked in healthcare, although it would help your studies if you have carried out some voluntary experience in a role.
You start your clinical placement within a few weeks of commencing your course, fully supported by a midwifery mentor and your personal tutor, so you will be gaining practical experience right from the start of this course.
Our midwifery lecturers are all registered midwives, who will be here to support and guide you every step of the way. You will attend a variety of teaching and learning opportunities such as seminars, lectures, small group work, skills workshops, as well as carry out case study analysis, simulation and reflections on your practice.
Where will I study?
You will learn in our brand new £41 million City South campus, with access to state-of-the-art facilities that allow you to continue developing your practical skills right here on campus too. You will be able to familiarise yourself with the birthing areas in our SPACE room, that is designed to replicate a medical setting, for you to drop in and practice your skills.
Your studies are enhanced by our online resources which includes the Midwifery Virtual Case Creator, which provides a highly interactive online simulation of clinical situations. This enables you to develop skills, prioritise care and make practice-related decisions in a safe environment.
Our campus also has fantastic skills facilities that you will have access to throughout your time here. They include a theatre mock ward, home environment, birthing room and much more. You can find out more about our facilities here.
See what our students say...
“Seeing my first actual birth was a big highlight; really lovely to be involved. It was an amazing experience and solidified the reasons why I wanted to be a midwife.”
Melanie Green
Why Choose Us?
- Our course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- High graduate employability rate - 100% graduate employability rate, as there is currently a UK-wide shortage of midwives
- You will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to become a registered midwife once you have graduated from this course
- Enjoy real-life work placements throughout the course to develop you as a professional midwife
- We work in partnership with the NHS and private hospitals, ensuring that your placement and career opportunities are secured
- Located at our £41 million City South Campus, you will enjoy studying the course in a stunning environment designed to maximise your learning experience
- Sophisticated skills facilities such as a home environment, birthing area and teaching tools, including use of a birth simulator and neonatal mannequins to help simulate a variety of birth scenarios
- Awarded the Unicef Stage 1 Baby Friendly Initiative - It's highly unusual for a University to achieve this, and shows how deep our best practice is around this vital area
- You will come away fulfilling the NHS newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) criteria. Including this extended training demonstrates our commitment to enhancing undergraduate development to the highest standards
- Learn from registered midwives with a wide range of clinical experience and interest. Our staff work hard to ensure their teaching reflects every day up to date midwifery practice
This course is not open to International students
Discover the School of Nursing and Midwifery
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
Where our students go
Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:
- Birmingham Woman Hospital
- Heartlands Hospital
And in jobs such as:
- Midwife
Subject to approval
This course is in the final stages of approval to ensure it meets the very highest standards of quality, creativity and applied learning.
Entry Requirements
Entry Requirements
| Level 2 | |||||
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| Typical Offers | |||||
| UK Qualification | Requirements 2019/20 | ||||
| GCE A Level/ AS Level | 88 UCAS tariff points - CCD from a maximum of three A/A2 level passes which must include a science based subject such as Health and Social Care double award. General Studies and Critical Thinking not accepted. | ||||
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | Full Award (60 credits overall) in access to health of access to nursing and midwifery. Minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 including 18 at Merit or Distinction, of which a minimum of 12 must be in a Science or Health related subject and 15 at Level 2. Mathematics and English Language GCSE must be obtained prior to application. | ||||
| BTEC Diploma (12-units) | DD - Only Health and social care or applied science accepted. Minimum 88 UCAS points. | ||||
| BTEC Extended Diploma (18-units) | MMM - Only Health and social care or applied science accepted. | ||||
| International Baccalaureate Diploma | 24 points overall | ||||
| Irish Leaving Certificate | 88 UCAS tariff points from 4 Higher Level Subjects, must include Health or Science related subjects. | ||||
| Scottish Higher/ Advanced Higher | Minimum 88 tariff points achieved in either three Advanced Highers or from a combination of two Advanced Highers plus two Highers. | ||||
| Welsh Baccalaureate (core plus options) | Full award must be achieved plus another A level at minimum C grade in a science related subject. Must be combined with other acceptable Level 3 qualifications to meet 88 tariff points. | ||||
| Other qualifications | |||||
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If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website. |
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- UK/EU students
- International students
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Jan 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year foundation followed by 3 year degree
- £9,250 per year
- Applications Closed
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Additional costs
We offer a wide range of professionally accredited and vocational courses that require the purchase of, among other things, uniforms, equipment, subscriptions, professional body memberships and DBS checks, and may require you to pay to attend conferences or participate in placements.
The link below provides our estimate of the possible costs associated with key activities on specific courses. Please bear in mind that these are only estimates of costs based on past student experience and feedback. The actual costs to you could vary considerably (either greater or lower than these estimates) depending on your choices as you progress through the course. We set out where we can, based on experience, where these indicative costs are for activities that are optional or compulsory.
All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
Accommodation and living costs
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
Learning Support Fund
From 1 November 2017 you may be able to apply for elements of the learning support fund if:
- you are studying a pre-registration healthcare course
- are studying in England and
- your course started on or after 1 August 2017
Foundation Year
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
Year Two
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
Year Three
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
You have the flexibility to transfer to a standard undergraduate programme from the School of Health Sciences or the School of Nursing and Midwifery upon successfully completing your Foundation Year including:
- BSc (Hons) Nursing - Adult
- BSc (Hons) Nursing - Mental Health
- BSc (Hons) Midwifery
In our exciting, newly validated innovative course, we've taken major steps in responding to changes in the NHS that also map directly on to the very latest Nursing and Midwifery Council standards of best practice.
The course runs for 45 weeks each year. Approximately 60 per cent is devoted to theory and 40 per cent to clinical practice. When you are on clinical placement you are expected to participate in the care of child bearing women across the full range of shifts including night duty and weekends.
Additional support
If you are dyslexic, have a specific learning difference or a disability, we have a Disability Tutor who can help and support you.
More on our disability tutor >>
We offer extra technical and learning support.
Overseas opportunities
You are encouraged to identify relevant overseas electives as part of your placement activities as a student midwife, and if possible we will support you in doing this. Countries that have been visited by our students in the past include Uganda, Ghana and Pakistan, as well as Europe (Netherlands) and Australia.
Further Study
The BSc (Hons) awarded on completion of this pre-registration course forms the basis for progression into further study as a midwife, while a comprehensive portfolio of post-registration courses is available called Continuing Professional Development (CPD). These courses allow for academic and/or clinical development and many are taught as part-time flexible modules to fit around your work and domestic commitments.
Trips and visits
Our students have recently taken part in a Commando training exercise to Exmouth, to develop their team and personal skills.
Student stories Claire Longley
Working hard for Australia
Claire is a mature student from Cardiff currently studying Midwifery at Birmingham City University. She was drawn to the University due to its good reputation for the subject. On attending an Open Day, she says: “I was very impressed with the facilities and how friendly all the staff and current student were.”
The placements and lectures aren’t the only things giving Claire such a positive student experience – she also has a lot of praise for the staff, who she describes as “brilliant and always there if you want some guidance for extra help with topics that you are finding difficult.”
Enhancing your employability skills
Employers at our NHS partners consistently cite the strength of our graduates at interview and their suitability to be immediately fit for practice as a midwife.
We believe it is because of our selection of determined and caring individuals who are motivated to becoming midwives that have the 6C’s as their core attributes.
Placements
On the three-year Midwifery course, you can expect to enjoy a number of placements at some of the biggest and busiest NHS centres for midwifery training in the Midlands. We have a teaching-placement split of 40-60, reflecting the importance of the clinical experience you will get at these Trusts and birthing centres.
Within these placements you will experience a wide range of all midwifery practice progressing from normality in year one to complexity in year two which includes additional experiences such as gynaecology and more specialist roles in year three.
Our partner NHS Trusts are some of the world’s leading maternity environments, from Birmingham Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.
OpportUNIty
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Graduate jobs
With our highly vocational education, you'll be in great shape to get an NHS position on graduation as a Registered (Graduate) Midwife (an NHS Band 5 position).
Most of our students settle into a midwifery career in the UK, some progressing to be ward based managers, specialist midwives, researchers and lecturers.
One of the attractions for some candidates of a midwifery qualification is the breadth of international opportunities it can open up, as the midwifery qualification is recognized in Europe as well as other international countries.
Going commando for charity
Our students recently put themselves to the test when they embarked on the 10k Royal Marines Commando Challenge, aiming to raise money for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and the Royal Marines Benevolent fund.
It was a great chance to practice skills such as decision making and working together as a team - vital for a future career as a midwife.
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £260 million on new learning facilities.
We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that medical staff may come across.
These resources are essential in offering students a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice. Much of our teaching is carried out within our state-of-the-art, £30m Seacole Building, which houses cutting-edge learning facilities.
In a sector where new techniques are constantly being discovered, we work hard to ensure that students learn using the most up-to-date equipment available. These include the only mock operating theatre in an English university and a cutting-edge radiography virtual clinical training facility, virtual ward and virtual case creator.
Simulation Mannequins
We have several Simulation babies (SIM babies) which are leading edge, anatomically correct mannequins used for teaching specific techniques such as advanced paediatric life support skills, acute and high dependency clinical skills, first aid and communication skills.
The SIM baby mannequins are complete with software, which is used to replicate real symptoms, and are enhanced by the manipulation of for example blood pressure, pulse and heart rate for extra realism.
Skills Practice and Care Enhancement facility
The SPACE (Skills Practice And Care Enhancement) learning facility lets you further practice the skills taught in class, at your own pace and convenience.
It is fully stocked with the specialist items and equipment needed for procedures such as taking blood pressure, giving an injection, abdominal examination of a pregnant woman and caring for ill babies in an incubator.
Mary Seacole Library
The Seacole library, based at City South Campus, is one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries. The state-of-the art facility offers an extensive range of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment, conducive to studying. There are comfortable seating areas, group study areas, a silent study area and private study rooms.
Computer Facilities
The Seacole building houses a large open access IT Suite which comprises of 96 PCs, full colour printers, photocopiers and scanners. Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
- Fast (unrestricted) internet connectivity
- Ability to save files to USB, DVD & CD
- Microsoft Office software
- Research and statistical software
- Storage space which can be accessed from any PC across the University and from home
Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
The IT Suite offers extended opening hours and is supported by a specialist Open Access Assistant during term time. In addition to the open access PCs within the IT Suite, there are 12 networked student PCs available within Seacole library.
Our staff
All of our staff are practising midwives and are regularly published in the major professional and scholarly journals in the field. They are also fully engaged in both research as well as maintenance of familiarity with developments in midwife practice in the NHS; distinct areas of research the team has carried out includes recent work on breast and baby feeding, for example.
Julie Hadley
Acting Head of Department - Midwifery
Julie is a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery. She has been employed in higher education since 2008. After qualifying, she worked as a midwife at the Birmingham Women's Hospital and later as a Research Midwife. She was then employed as a project manager and research teacher and was involved in developing, delivering and assessing two European funded projects which developed a clinically integrated European qualification in evidence based medicine (EBM) for medical doctors.