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.
This course is now full for 2020/21. You can apply for 2021/22 via UCAS from September 2020.
If you'd still like to apply for September 2020, take a look at some of our other available courses.
Are you a registered adult nurse looking to change career? You can become dual qualified as a midwife with our 88 week intensive Midwifery shortened course here at Birmingham City University.
Upon completion you will graduate with your degree as well as the NHS Newborn and Infant Physical Examination Programme (NIPE) and the UNICEF Baby Friendly initiative. This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
We offer a forward-thinking educational and training environment, closely aligned to the NHS Constitution and the specific needs of midwifery in the field today, thanks to our close partnership with our commissioning partner.
We use the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for Pre-registration Midwifery Education to underpin our training for you to qualify as a midwife and to provide autonomous women-centred care.
The academic studies to help you become a registered midwife are closely interwoven with real-world clinical practice as we know that such experience is crucial to help you reach NMC standards. Key to your journey on this 20+ month intensive course will be strong development of your interpersonal skills (as identified in the Essential Skills Cluster-Communication) to support women and their families through what can sometimes be very complex situations.
You will not only become a midwife competent in the skills needed to promote normal birth and empower women, but become a midwife skilled in managing obstetric and neonatal emergencies, backed up by the evidence based knowledge you need to develop confidence and competence to provide safe care.
Your time here will be split between on-campus study blocks, study days, Trust days, reading weeks and clinical placements – with at least 50 per cent of the course on clinical activities and 40 per cent in class or theory-based.
As we closely align with the values of the NHS Constitution we'll also make sure you leave fully engaged with not just the practice but the ethical and legal framework of today's patient-centric National Health Service.
You will learn in our City South campus, with access to state-of-the-art facilities that allow you to continue developing your practical skills right here on campus. You will be able to familiarise yourself with the birthing areas in our SPACE room, designed to replicate a birth setting, where you can drop in and practise your skills.
Our campus also has fantastic skills facilities that you will have access to throughout your time here. These include a theatre mock ward, home environment, birthing room and much more. You can find out more about our facilities here.
Our Open Day for this course will take place in March 2021. Register now and we will contact you when the booking form goes live.
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:
We now recruit to the values of the NHS constitution. This influences our selection criteria and especially the values we are seeking to be demonstrated in both your application and interview, which we view as essential in any individual involved in patient care.
This programme is open to students possessing evidence of a formal qualification as a general nurse (for a full time programme of a minimum of 88 weeks duration) in accordance with the Standards for pre-registration midwifery education (NMC 2009) admission to and continued participation in pre-registration midwifery programmes. Candidates must satisfy the general admissions requirements of the programme, which are as follows
In addition students who wish to achieve the Graduate Diploma must hold a Degree or equivalent credits in general nursing (adult).
Places subject to a satisfactory Occupational Heath Check, Disclosure and Barring Service report and registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority.
Applicants should be aware that qualifications, personal statement, interview, references and, numeracy and literature testing all form part of the selection criteria for this course.
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Jan 2021
Award: GradDip
Starting: Jan 2021
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. 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.
This course is now full for 2020/21. You can apply for 2021/22 via UCAS from September 2020.
If you'd still like to apply for September 2020, take a look at some of our other available courses.
Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
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
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.
If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.
We offer further information on possible undergraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Student loan finance - have you already studied an undergraduate degree but would like to do a second one in Midwifery (Shortened Programme)? You may be eligible for funding.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
The degree is delivered by a mixture of six modules in the Department of Midwifery within the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences and four to six week placements over 88 weeks.
We start with a strong foundation in the basics of Midwifery before moving quickly into hands-on experience. We adhere to the '6 Cs' values of the NHS Constitution, so right from the start will be looking to develop not only your technical skills (including the importance of evidence-based care and critical thinking) but the legal, professional and above all the ethical dimensions of the job.
The course is full-time, equivalent to a 37.5 hour working week. As in nursing you will be expected to work different shift patterns whilst on placement.
During the first term you will have the opportunity to complete a delivery suite and a community placement. Placements in the ante/postnatal wards, antenatal clinic, community and neonatal unit will take place during the remainder of your course.
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.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery has successfully secured the Athena SWAN Departmental Bronze Award recognising a commitment to gender equality.
Filled with state-of-the-art equipment, our SPACE (Skills Practice and Care Enhancement) area is the perfect place for you to practise a wide range of skills at your own pace.
Watch our video to see how access to SPACE has helped our students to succeed.
The BSc (Hons) awarded on completion of this pre-registration course forms the basis for progression onto further study.
A comprehensive portfolio of post-registration short courses that focuses on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is available, along with other postgraduate schemes.
These courses allow for academic and/or clinical development. Many of the courses are taught as part-time flexible modules to fit around your work and domestic commitments.
By completing this course, you will be not only receive an academic degree but you will also be able to enter the midwifery part of the NMC's professional register – so we are offering you both an academic and a professional qualification opportunity. You will already be employed as an adult nurse, so by having dual qualification you can look forward to even greater employability prospects.
The course also aims to enable you to demonstrate safe and effective competence in:
You'll experience all the relevant areas of midwifery practice: community-based, home-based, post- and ante-natal, in addition to hands-on exposure in contexts from birthing centres to hospital delivery suites. This will help you to pursue a career in a variety of midwifery roles after you graduate.
You'll also be working at every level of the NHS, from global leading centres to district hospitals thanks to our location and the strength of the links we have with Trusts in the region.
Birmingham is unique in having a wide concentration of Trusts within a relatively small metropolitan area – all of who maintain close enough links with us to ensure our training is always closely aligned with their specific clinical needs.
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.
You'll have the chance to take part in our popular Open Days as a paid Student Ambassador and talk about your experiences on the midwifery course to new students.
Through our courses we give you the skills and experience needed to get a head start when applying for jobs. But we offer something extra too – Graduate+.
Our unique programme gives you the chance to develop valuable skills outside of the more formal classroom learning. We award points for Graduate+ activities (including firewalking!) and these can be put towards a final Graduate+ award.
Our graduates enjoy a very high employment rate – around 98 percent (2014 figures). Most of them are now employed at the trust they trained at and prefer to practice as an all round midwife. Many of our graduates have also progressed to a Band 6 midwife following additional training.
Other graduates have chosen to specialise in specific midwifery roles for example in teenage pregnancy, or have moved on into education or research. Some graduates will decide to apply for a management position – either Ward Manager or Team Leaders – only a few years after graduating.
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £260 million on new learning facilities.
This course is based in the £30 million award-winning Seacole Building, with mock hospital wards, SIMulation mannequins, mock Operating Theatre, Home Environment and laboratory.
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.
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.
Our staff, all registered midwives, publish widely in the main professional journals in the field, as well as produce textbooks. A priority is placed on maintaining deep professional competence, with most continuing to practice and developing expertise in areas such as examination of the newborn infant.
Alison first qualified as a general nurse in 1988 and following a few years as a nurse in gynaecology and care of the elderly, a move into Midwifery was made. The main areas Alison worked in included fetal medicine, day assessment, coordination of delivery suite and also managing a postnatal and antenatal ward. This lead into the completion of a degree in Health Sciences and a post as a lecturer at BCU, the then University of Central England. A number of years later after completing teacher training and a Masters degree this led to promotion to senior lecturer and the commencement of a Phd in Midwifery due for completion in 2019