This course requires 128–144 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent, including 32 points in a required subject. We are happy to consider a combination of qualifications and grades to meet the overall tariff, for example A-levels A*A*C, AAA, A*BC or ABB, BTECs DDD or DDM in a required subject. You can use the UCAS calculator to see how your qualifications equate to UCAS tariff points.
If you do not meet these you may want to consider our foundation year, a one-year course that will prepare you for degree-level study.
IELTS (Academic) 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in all other components or equivalent.
Why study BSc (Hons) Midwifery at BU?
You can opt to study at either of our campuses – Bournemouth or Portsmouth.
With a strong emphasis on women-centred care, the course offers an equal balance of theory and practice.
50% of the course will be spent in practice placements, in community and hospital settings, where you’ll learn from your interactions with women, families, midwives and other health professionals.
You’ll be introduced to new equipment and skills in our simulation facilities, including a birthing suite, where you can familiarise yourself with techniques prior to going into practice.
Learn from experienced and knowledgeable registered midwives and other healthcare practitioners.
Funding support: Midwifery students may be eligible for a non-repayable government training grant of at least £5,000 a year. Find out more about the funding.
Foundation Year: We have a Foundation Year option for UK students who do not meet the entry requirements for the degree course. This additional year of study will give you a grounding in the scientific skills needed to prepare you for the Midwifery degree, building your confidence, knowledge and skills for further study. After successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will progress to the full degree and begin your Midwifery study. The Foundation Year will be based at the Talbot Campus, Bournemouth. If you wish to study the degree at the Portsmouth Campus, you will be able to choose to this study location upon completing the foundation year in Bournemouth.
UCAS Code: B720
With foundation year: B721
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Foundation year
Core units
Academic Study Skills: You will gain the fundamental academic and research skills required for degree level study. The unit will introduce you to a broad grounding in literature searching, literature review, data collection, methodological approach, data analysis and interpretation and ethical practice. It will also support you to begin to develop a critical and analytical approach to your work and identify areas for personal development.
Applied Sciences: You'll gain a basic understanding of some fundamental aspects of science underpinning more specific disciplines, and an appreciation of how various scientific disciplines impact human life. You'll understand the differences between pure and applied science, as well as the roles of different ways applied science can be funded, and implications of these funding mechanisms.
Introduction to Biology: Biology is the study of life and hence knowledge of plant and animal cell biology is fundamental to understanding wider concepts in biology. This unit also introduces key themes in human, environmental and ecological sciences to provide a sound underpinning in knowledge for future studies.
Introduction to Psychology: This unit is designed to prepare you for advanced coursework in psychology. You will complete the unit with a good understanding of the various areas of psychology and how they seek to explain behaviour.
Mathematics in Science: You will build your confidence in mathematics, in order to perform calculations on a range of scientific data from biology, chemistry and psychology and to be able to represent the findings in an appropriate format, including graphs. In order to carry this out, it is essential to be able to convert the data between systems of units and to understand how to present very large and very small numbers in standard form. Basic statistical analysis of tabulated data will be carried out to introduce the concept of confidence limits and familiarisation of statistical testing.
Foundation Year Project: You will carry out a research task on scientific topics chosen by the unit leader which you will be able to conduct a scientific investigation on. You will devise your own investigation and produce a literature review as a final scientific report.
Year 1
Core units
Midwifery Practice 1A: You will be introduced to the foundations of midwifery practice, gaining knowledge, applying skills and interacting with women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. You will also learn about and reflect on professional practice in midwifery.
Midwifery Practice 1B: You will continue to experience midwifery practice in a range of contexts under the supervision of a midwife, and will reflect on your own practice in your role as a student midwife.
Childbirth Journeys: This unit will provide you with an overview of how women and their families experience conception, pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. This will be linked to developing your knowledge around the systems of the body and how they adapt during childbearing. Blended learning, including lectures, seminars, group-work, situation-based learning and input from women and families will be used to link these key areas of learning together.
Fundamental Midwifery Care: During this unit, you will explore holistic midwifery care of the woman and her family throughout the childbirth continuum. In doing so you gain an understanding of evidence-based practice, which incorporates research evidence and responds to women’s choices and preferences to enable care to be in the best interests of mother and baby.
Promoting Health: You will be introduced to the health promotion role of the midwife and explore theoretical aspects of health and wellbeing for the mother, infant and family. You will gain practical experience of health promotion and wellbeing services within the context of society.
Foundations for Professional Practice and Research: This interprofessional unit will provide you with a foundation of the core values and skills that underpin professional practice. You will explore the social determinants of health, professional ethics and researching evidence. This will help you develop skills to prepare for your first practice placement by exploring the importance of respectful, reflective, resilient and person-centred professional practice.
Year 2
Core units
Midwifery Practice 2A: The aim of this unit is to advance your professional practice, by building knowledge and skills through interaction with women and their babies during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. It will also prepare you for offering continuity of care to a small caseload of women, strengthening your skills of multidisciplinary working and autonomous woman-centred practice.
Midwifery Practice 2B: In this unit you will continue to develop your knowledge and skills in practice. Under the supervision of a midwife you will work in partnership with women and their families, health professionals, care workers and other agencies to offer evidence-based information, develop care plans and provide care tailored to women’s circumstances and needs. The unit will support your communication skills and personal wellbeing when caring for women with complex care needs, including bereavement.
Medicines Optimisation and the Midwife: You will acquire the skills necessary for the safe administration of medicines and alternative treatments, gaining an understanding of medicine optimisation, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In this unit you will demonstrate your ability to meet the standards of numeracy required to safely administer medicines.
Complexity in Midwifery Care: You will learn about pre-existing and urgent complications in the childbearing continuum, and their impact on the woman, infant and family. It will support you to develop your knowledge so that can act promptly and appropriately manage complications.
Local, National and Global Health: This unit will build your awareness of issues relating to the health and wellbeing of women, infants and families at local, national and global levels. You will develop skills in providing evidence-based information, while demonstrating respect for diverse social and cultural preferences, and recognising the need for adjustments for physical, cognitive, mental health and language needs.
Research for Professional Practice: Building on foundation studies from year one you will work in an interprofessional group to advance your research understanding and problem-solving skills to engage critically with evidence-based practice.
Year 3
Core units
Midwifery Practice 3A: You will advance and develop your skills and competencies for professional practice, with particular focus on the theoretical, practice and reflective knowledge required to assess newborn health during the physical examination of the newborn.
Midwifery Practice 3B: You will continue to work in practice, consolidating your learning and experience from the whole programme. You will focus on enabling women’s own physical, mental and social resources during childbearing as well as supporting those with complex care needs. The unit will facilitate your progression towards qualifying as a confident and proficient professional, capable of high quality, autonomous midwifery practice within the multiprofessional provision of care.
Evidence for Midwifery Practice: During this unit you will undertake in-depth, independent study, focusing on an aspect of professional practice. As well as developing skills in searching and evaluating the quality of different types of literature, you will learn to analyse and synthesise the findings to identify evidence that will enhance practice.
Care in Midwifery Emergencies: This unit will strengthen your understanding of emergency care in midwifery, enabling you to provide safe and effective care. It will support you in becoming a confident and reflective midwife who can work effectively within a multiprofessional situation.
Leadership and Innovation in Midwifery Care: This unit will develop your knowledge and understanding of leadership skills and qualities, using reflective, analytical and creative approaches to problem solving. You will critically analyse team and organisational leadership across the midwifery and health care continuum and consider the role of the midwife as a leader in care.
Team Working for Service Improvement: During this unit, you will develop skills for working in inter-professional teams to design and develop service improvements for the people who use services and their carers.
Working as a midwife is incredibly rewarding and as a graduate from this course you will have a wide range of career opportunities. Our students have an excellent record of gaining positions within NHS Hospitals, Community Trusts and in the private healthcare sector. You don't have to stay in the UK though, as this qualification is recognised widely around the world, allowing you to travel and make a real difference wherever you settle.
We have excellent links with service users and service providers, allowing you to build relationships before you finish your course and enhance your employment prospects as a result.
OSHC: 624 ($) GBP per year
