Triangle

Course overview

This course is aimed at those who are committed to providing excellence in care to childbearing women and their families. Students are expected to demonstrate The Six C’s of the NHS, namely: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.

We offer a contemporary values and research-based curriculum, and are fully accredited by the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI), being reaccredited in 2015. Universities only receive the Baby-Friendly Award after undergoing rigorous assessment by UNICEF to test the skill and knowledge of midwifery students, as well as updating lecturers. There will also be an optional opportunity for students to undertake the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) award.

Student case-holding

We offer student case-holding throughout the course, providing real-life experience of caring for a mother and new-born. Each student has two or three women assigned to them simultaneously per year, and students are on-call for the birth, alongside seeing those women in the ante and postnatal periods. 

Peer Mentoring

We have an established Peer Mentoring Scheme, where students may be supported by more senior students on the midwifery course. 

Learning environments

Midwifery care is provided in a variety of settings such as homes, hospital wards and within the community. Student midwives are exposed to practice-based learning in a range of settings to enable the development of key midwifery skills.

Students gain clinical experience in maternity units in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Burton and Lincolnshire and their related community areas. Teaching will predominantly take place at Queen’s Medical CentreHospital or University Park Campus, Nottingham.

Getting to our Nottingham campus is easy, with a wide range of transport links available, from the tram – with stops at both Queen’s Medical Centre and University Park Campus – to a number of public bus services, or the hopper buses which take students from Nottingham to Royal Derby Hospital.

Modules

The following is a sample of the typical modules that we offer as at the date of publication but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Due to the passage of time between commencement of the course and subsequent years of the course, modules may change due to developments in the curriculum and the module information in this prospectus is provided for indicative purposes only.

The three-year full time programme is arranged in a modular structure, and all modules are compulsory. Teaching staff employ a variety of learning methods, including:

  • flipped learning
  • lectures
  • seminars
  • inter-professional education
  • simulation 

You'll be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning and to be active in the learning process.

All holidays are detailed in your programme of education plan. Holidays generally coincide with peak holiday weeks. 

Find out more about how you will learn and be assessed on our teaching webpage.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2019 entry.

UK entry requirements
A level ABB

Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.
Required subjects Subjects to include human biology, however chemistry and physics will be considered. If taking biology, chemistry and/or physics, applicants must pass the practical element of assessment where assessed separately. Plus eight GCSEs at grade 7-4 (A-C) including English, maths and a science subject
IB score 32 (6,5,5 at Higher Level including at least one science: biology, human biology, chemistry, physics); English, maths and a science at Standard Level 4 or GCSE 4 (C) or above

Mature Students

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

How you will be assessed

Study abroad

During the second year, students have the opportunity to apply to study abroad with one of our prestigious Erasmus+ partner universities, where they complete a 9 week clinical placement with one of our partners in Ireland, Malta, or Milan. Funding is available for this.

During the second and third years, students will undertake a two week elective placement. Students arrange their own placement and have the potential to go anywhere in the world, provided the country is deemed safe to travel to. Previous students have undertaken placements in Malta, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Wales and Nepal. Please note that students are required to self-fund this placement.

Placements

Through placements, students are able to experience different trusts across different sites, providing benefits including:

  • Expanding their experience through meeting women and their families with different needs
  • Gaining a wider perspective of the healthcare sector
  • Helping to understand the challenges that women, their families, and healthcare professionals face
  • Making connections for future job opportunities 

We also work with eight hospitals in partnership with six hospital trusts, to deliver the clinical practice parts of the course. This is done through our 'home and away' model. At Queen's Medical Centre we have a Clinical Skills Centre and drop-in facilities where students can practice in a simulated environment. We also work with eight hospitals in partnership with six hospital trusts, to deliver the clinical practice parts of the course. This is done through our 'home and away' model.

The trust sites are:

  • Nottingham University Hospitals (City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham)
  • United Lincolnshire Hospitals (Lincoln and Boston)
  • Royal Derby Hospital (Derby)
  • Chesterfield Royal Hospital (Chesterfield)
  • Sherwood Forest Hospitals (Mansfield)  
  • Burton Hospitals (Staffordshire)

In your first year you will be allocated to one of our clinical placement sites, known as your 'home' base. For your second year you will then be allocated to a different trust, which is your 'away' base. You will return to your original 'home' clinical placement for your third year.

Please note that students receive four free uniforms for their placements. 

Location of placements

Students can indicate a preference for their 'home' site prior to course commencement, however, this cannot be guaranteed.

Please note that due to the numbers of students on the course, and available places for each clinical trust, we cannot guarantee you will get your preferences.

On accepting a place with us, you understand that you could be allocated to practice placements anywhere within the East Midlands. The geographic spread of placements and the amount of travel expected by students varies depending upon students’ home and away placements.  

For example:

You will be studying theory at Nottingham throughout your three years. 

Years one and three 

You will be allocated to a placement, known as your ‘home’.

Year two

Year two will be spent at an entirely different trust (your ‘away’ placement), to experience a different practice perspective. 

Find out more about placements.

Study Abroad and the Year in Industry are subject to students meeting minimum academic requirements. Opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

Modules

This comprises 45 programmed weeks theory and practice and seven weeks annual leave per year. Modules are studied at level one during this teaching period and comprise:

Normal Midwifery Practice in Contemporary Society

This module considers: 

  • Assessment of maternal and neonatal wellbeing
  • Applied anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and the puerperium
  • Normal neonatal physiology, behaviour and care, including infant feeding
  • Transition to motherhood - physical, psychological and social constructs
  • Psychological adaptations to parenthood/motherhood/fatherhood
  • Introduction of concepts of health and its promotion
  • Introduction to public health and social determinants of health
  • Evidence-based, holistic, responsive, compassionate antenatal and postnatal care
  • Introduction to maternity services and childbirth in other cultures 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

The Compassionate and Professional Midwife

This module considers: 

  • The historical context of midwifery
  • The role of the midwife and sphere of practice
  • The development of unique supportive mother/midwife relationships and professional boundaries
  • Organisational culture and its impact on professional practice behaviours
  • Theories of empathy, compassion, kindness, advocacy and cultural awareness 
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Self-awareness, i.e. values, boundaries, behaviours
  • Emotional intelligence and resilience
  • The concept of professionalism in midwifery
  • The professional regulation of midwifery practice from both national and international perspectives
Normal Childbirth

This module considers: 

  • Models of midwifery-led care, from national and international perspectives
  • The role of the midwife as a facilitator of normal birth and scope of practice
  • Concepts and assessment of normal progress, birth and risk assessment
  • Improving birth outcomes through the promotion of midwifery approaches and advocacy, i.e. active birth, water birth
  • Anatomy and physiology of the stages of labour to include the pelvis, fetal skull, pelvic floor and perineal trauma
  • Physiology and function of labour pain, non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods of analgesia
  • Complementary therapies
  • Midwifery approaches and care for normal birth, individualised compassionate and responsive midwifery care
  • Fetal adaptation from intra to extra uterine life
  • Immediate examination of the new-born 

Learning and teaching activities will be predominately based on a blended learning model that will include: face to face teaching sessions, guided online learning activities, facilitated group tutorials, enquiry based learning activities, small group seminars and assignment preparation workshops.

The Novice Student Midwife in Practice

This module considers: 

  • Evidence-based care and midwifery clinical skills, including interpersonal skills
  • Promotion of normality, the midwife’s role and scope of practice
  • Effective communication in midwifery introduction to parent education
  • The initiation and continuation of breastfeeding
  • Participation in antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care across a range of clinical settings
  • Case-holding and compassionate midwifery care
  • Fetal monitoring and interpretation
  • Practise of neonatal and maternal resuscitation
  • Reflection in and on practice
  • Principles of medicines management and administration
  • Completion of essential skills clusters for year one 

Learning and teaching activities will be predominately based on a blended learning model that will include: preparation for practice teaching sessions, guided online learning activities, facilitated workshops and clinical skills practice. 

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Saturday 17 August 2019.

This comprises 45 programmed weeks theory and practice and seven weeks annual leave. During the second year all modules are studied at level two and comprise:

Perinatal Mental Health and the Role of the Midwife

This module considers: 

  • The factors that could influence the normal emotional changes during pregnancy and childbirth
  • Challenges to mental well-being during the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods
  • The risk factors, such as domestic abuse, safeguarding, drug and alcohol misuse, learning disability
  • A range of common mental health disorders
  • Local, national and international policies related to the care of women with mental health diagnoses
  • The midwife’s role in fetal loss and bereavement support
  • Working as part of a multi-professional team, collaborating with other agencies
  • The identification of referral pathways for women with mental health issues 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

Complex Childbirth and the Midwife

This module considers: 

  • The pathophysiology of common medical, gynaecological and obstetric conditions and complications of pregnancy and birth
  • Examination of the care of women with complex needs, to include risk assessment and care pathways
  • How normality within complex midwifery care can be optimised
  • Global perspectives of women’s health needs
  • Epidemiology, risk and social factors that contribute to poor neonatal outcomes and infant morbidity and mortality
  • Pathophysiology of neonatal conditions including preterm, and small for gestational age
  • Congenital abnormalities and their treatment, to include birth injuries
  • The midwife’s role in caring for babies with complex needs as part of the interdisciplinary team
  • Professional, legal and ethical issues associated with neonatal care
  • Safeguarding of the vulnerable family
  • Using evidence-based midwifery practice to support compassionate care 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

Research Skills for Evidence-Based Midwifery Care

This module considers: 

  •  A critical appreciation of health care research
  •  Literature searching and utilisation of research
  •  The skills of quality appraisal and critique
  •  Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies
  •  A range of research methods 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

 

The Developing Student Midwife in Practice

This module considers: 

  • Midwifery clinical knowledge and skills in both normal and complex labour, birth, and being an advocate for women and including revision of effective communication skills
  • Case-holding and the role of the midwife
  • Medicines management and administration of medicines
  • The effectiveness of risk assessment tools
  • Determining fetal well-being using fetal monitoring
  • The initiation and support of breastfeeding – managing challenges
  • Antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care in women and babies with complex needs
  • Managing obstetric emergencies
  • Assessing causes and management of perineal trauma
  • Interprofessional learning
  • Reflection in and on clinical practice 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on

This comprises of 45 programmed weeks theory and practice and seven weeks annual leave. Modules are studied at level three and comprise:

The Politics of Maternity Care

This module considers: 

  • Political drivers in maternity care and social policy
  • Global citizenship
  • Millennium development goals
  • Social theories, including feminism and empowerment
  • Midwifery models of care in the UK and internationally
  • The social construction of childbirth
  • Clinical governance and risk management strategies
  • The quality of maternity services 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

Research Evidence for High Quality Midwifery Practice

This module considers: 

  •  Epidemiology
  •  Research ethics
  •  Change management and service development
  •  Critical appraisal
  •  The importance of research in midwifery
  •  Data collection methods
  •  Data analysis
  •  Writing for publication 

This module is supported by a virtual learning environment using a variety of e-learning resources.

The Professional Midwife in Contemporary Society

This module considers:  

  •  Professional registration and revalidation
  •  The history of midwifery supervision
  •  The role of the midwife in contemporary society and the impact of globalisation
  •  Leadership in the NHS
  •  Career planning and clinical academic careers
  •  Preceptorship
  •  Midwifery autonomy and scope of practice
The Competent Student Midwife in Practice

This module considers:  

  • Enhancement and consolidation of midwifery skills in practice
  • Professional conduct and the midwife
  • Case-holding in year 3 and care pathways
  • Appreciation of midwifery practice within local, national and international settings
  • The delivery and evaluation of parent education
  • Competency in the initiation and support of breastfeeding women
  • Competency in normal and a range of diverse antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care taking into account physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cultural factors
  • Perineal trauma, repair, episiotomy 
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on

Fees and funding

UK students

£9250
Per year

International students

£21510*
Per year

*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students*

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £2,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

International/EU students

Our International Baccalaureate Diploma Excellence Scholarship is available for select students paying overseas fees who achieve 38 points or above in the International Baccalaureate Diploma. We also offer a range of High Achiever Prizes for students from selected countries, schools and colleges to help with the cost of tuition fees. Find out more about scholarships, fees and finance for international students.

For information about fees and finance visit our Student Fees and 

Home students*

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £1,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

International students

We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

International scholarships

Careers

Upon successfully completing the course, students can register as a midwife with the  Nursing and Midwifery Council. 

After gaining experience as a registered midwife, graduates may move into specialist midwife roles (for instance, substance misuse, diabetes, teenage pregnancy), or go into education or research. In terms of career progression, there may be opportunities to work as a consultant midwife.

Find out more about Midwifery postgraduate course.

Professional recognition 

This course is recognised and validated by The Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Average starting salary and career progression

A newly qualified NHS midwife will start at Band 5, on a starting salary of £23,023.*

98.6% of undergraduates from the School of Health Sciences secured work or further study within six months of graduation. The average starting salary was £22,000.**

* Correct as of 1 April 2018.

** Known destinations of full-time home undergraduates who were available for employment, 2016/17. Salaries are calculated based on the median of those in full-time paid employment within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

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Important information

This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.