Midwifery Shortened Programme - BSc (Hons) / GradDip

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).

What's covered in the course?

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.

Where will I study?

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.

Why Choose Us?

• High graduate employability rate - 100 per cent of graduates from this course are in work or further study six months after qualifying
• Our course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - You will be eligible to apply to the NMC to become a registered midwife once you have graduated from this course
• Our specialist skills facilities include a home environment, birthing area and teaching tools, such as a birth simulator and neonatal mannequins to help simulate a variety of birth scenarios
• Awarded the Unicef Stage 1 Baby Friendly Initiative, which is highly unusual for a university and shows how deep our best practice is around this vital area.
• You will receive recognition that you've studied the NHS newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) competencies as part of your course. Only a small number of universities offer both the theoretical and practical components of NIPE
• Student loan finance - If you’ve you already studied an undergraduate degree but would like to do a second one in Midwifery (Shortened Programme)? You may be eligible for funding.

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

• Be registered with the NMC as a general nurse (adult) and consolidated this with a period of 12 months full-time nursing experience immediately prior to commencing the programme.
• Have evidence of 240 specific credits, 120 of which should be level 5 (diploma level) or equivalent.
• Average of 60 per cent in level 5 nursing studies (and have passed all level 5 modules at first attempt) or 2:2 in BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing.
• Be resident within the UK for at least three years (for DBS Clearance).
• Permanent residency in the UK/EU.
• Evidence of academic study within the last five years at minimum Level 5.
• Two satisfactory references, one academic and one clinical.
• Satisfactory personal statement.
• The remaining selection process will consist of three elements: a written critique of a known report, a table top exercise to demonstrate team working and and communication and an interview.
• All offers made are subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) report.

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.

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.

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.

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:

• Applying evidence-based knowledge to best midwifery practice
• Applying your knowledge of psychological, social, emotional and spiritual factors that may positively or adversely influence normal child birth to practice
• Appropriate interpersonal skills (as identified in the Essential Skills Cluster-Communication) to support women and their families
• Skills in managing obstetric and neonatal emergencies, underpinned by appropriate knowledge
• Become an autonomous practitioner to women experiencing normal childbirth
• Being able to support women throughout their pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal period in all settings, including midwifery-led units, birthing centres and the home.
• Be empowered to undertake critical decision-making to support appropriate referral to either the woman or baby to other health professionals or agencies when there is recognition of normal processes being adversely affected and compromised.

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.

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.

Our facilities

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.