Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Placement
Prepare to work alongside women and their families, developing the clinical expertise and compassionate care that defines exceptional midwifery practice. This course builds your proficiency in birth, emergency care, infant feeding support and mental health awareness through hands-on practice in our Clinical Skills Centre and placements with NHS partner trusts.
You’ll study a curriculum shaped by evidence and informed by the Quality Maternal and New born Care Framework, designed to meet contemporary challenges in maternity services.
Successful completion of the course aims to prepare you with the confidence to lead care, advocate for families, and make a genuine difference to health outcomes.
This Midwifery course has been fully accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The programme has been developed in alignment with the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Midwifery (2019, redesigned 2024), and module details reflect the final, approved curriculum
To help you meet the requirements for NMC registration, Northumbria ensures you have access to achieve the minimum 2,300 practice placement hours.
Standard Offer 112 UCAS Tariff Points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Contextual Admissions 96 UCAS Tariff points
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions and we understand that every applicant’s circumstances can be different, which is why we take a flexible approach and assess your individual circumstances and potential when reviewing your application.
To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo
Subject Requirements:
An A-level in a Science or Health related subject, or recognised equivalent.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths, English Language and a Science at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
Applicants will be required to attend an interview. Admission is subject to a suitable DBS Enhanced Certificate and a satisfactory Occupational Health clearance. Applicants must meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council's suitability for registration requirements.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 with 6.5 in each component or Occupational English Test (OET) with at least a grade B (350 to 440) in reading, listening and speaking, and at least a grade C+ (300 to 340) in writing.
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
UK Fee in Year 1: £10,050
The UK tuition fee for 27/28 is £10,050 and is set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase this fee in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. The remaining fees for 27/28 are to be confirmed and relate to the International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees. Accommodation fees may increase in subsequent years. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of the re-issuing of tenancy agreements. The University may increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments). If the University intends to exercise this right to increase tuition fees, notification will be communicated with all students affected by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right. Student fee loans have risen in line with the level of uplift decided by the UK Government. Extended Degrees: Students will pay the applicable Foundation Year fee in Year 0. Tuition fees will follow the Year 1 (Level 4) cap in the first year of Undergraduate study, with tuition fees in subsequent years increasing as per the above information. * Fees subject to annual increases over the course of the period of study. Students will be liable for payment of any/all tuition fees which are not sponsored by their employer or other third party.
International Fee in Year 1:
This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050. Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap.
This is the programme fee for your first year of study. The programme fee includes the international tuition fee, International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees. Accommodation fees may increase in subsequent years. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of the re-issuing of tenancy agreements.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
Look out for module specifics coming soon. Please keep checking this web page for updated information.
Year One
Build foundations in anatomy, physiology and public health whilst developing universal care skills for pregnancy and birth. Begin supervised clinical placements experiencing antenatal, birth and postnatal care.
Year Two
Study complex childbirth scenarios, emergency management and pathophysiology through simulation and expanded clinical placements. Develop evidence evaluation skills whilst applying knowledge of additional care needs. Complete OSCE assessments and begin research planning.
Year Three
Lead care for a small caseload of women throughout their childbearing journey. Develop leadership capabilities through specialist placements whilst completing your Capstone Project. Demonstrate full NMC proficiencies for autonomous midwifery practice and registration.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
HW5000 -
Skills for Academic Success in a UK University (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.
More informationMW4000 -
Promoting Normal Physiological Process in Midwifery Care: Anatomy & Physiology (20 Credits)
You will learn about the anatomy and physiology of the non-pregnant female body prior to pregnancy and how the body changes and adapts throughout and recovers from a pregnancy. Fetal development and the function of the placenta are considered. All topics which are explored will be relevant to the beginning of your professional journey in keeping with the Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC). The principles of pharmacology, genetics and elements of immunology and microbiology will be introduced and discussed.
More informationMW4001 -
Universal Care & Adaptation to Pregnancy (20 Credits)
You will learn about the physiological adaptations of the body during pregnancy and consider the universal care provided by midwives during the antenatal and postnatal periods. This will include assessment, screening and care planning during this time, in keeping with the Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) and the professional standards. You will learn about maternal, fetal and newborn wellbeing during pregnancy and postnatally. You will be introduced to wellbeing assessment of the woman and baby, utilising appropriate and current evidence to support the approach to assessment, screening and care for the mother and baby in the antenatal and postnatal period. You will recognise and explore diverse needs of women, partners and fathers within the content of the module, considering the professional expectations of respect and inclusivity as described in the NMC Code (2019). All topics which are explored are relevant to the beginning of your professional journey. You will be assisted to apply this knowledge through class discussions of midwifery orientated case scenarios and utilisation of technology enhanced learning (TEL).
More informationMW4002 -
Professional & Academic Practice (20 Credits)
This module supports you in understanding the professional basis of midwifery and locating, accessing and interpreting the evidence base that informs high quality midwifery care. Professional and academic communication approaches are rehearsed, and you are guided to develop reflective skills to support the integration of theory with your practice learning exposure in the first year of your midwifery programme. You will develop and understanding of the values required by professional midwifery practice and consider examples from practice. Throughout the module you will consider ways to build effective professional communication skills such as academic writing.
This module is yearlong, to support your development in academic writing, understanding academic terminology such as critical appraisal and synthesis, and to support you to interpret and apply academic feedback from your assessments during this year.
MW4003 -
Midwifery Practice 1 (20 Credits)
This is the first of your programme’s practice modules and you will gain a foundation in clinical skills and knowledge towards becoming a skilled practitioner in accordance with professional standards. This will enable you to support, care for and work in partnership with women through all aspects of the childbirth continuum.
The emphasis of your learning will be the underpinning theory and clinical skills that are essential for safe and effective midwifery care. You will work alongside clinical midwives to develop your interpersonal skills and understand professional practice in the clinical setting, as well as consolidating the clinical skills you simulated within the university setting. You will experience 24-hour/ seven-day care provision during clinical practice, enabling you to develop an understanding of women, their infants and family’s needs. You will follow the journey of several women through your first year to facilitate an appreciation of maternity care from service users’ perspectives. You will work in partnership with women (under supervision) to ensure a woman centred approach to care.
Skills taught on this module include venepuncture, medicines management (including drug calculations), injection techniques, infant feeding including breastfeeding and safe artificial feeding, bladder care, vital observations, life support and infection prevention, control and antimicrobial stewardship. Practical's relating to infant feeding and early relationship building will enhance theoretical instruction based upon the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF (2025) Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards.
MW4004 -
Public Health (20 Credits)
During this module, you will be introduced to what is meant by health, and the factors and determinants that influence health. The module will develop your understanding of health inequalities in maternity care and provision. Epidemiological data will be explored on a local, national, and international scale including consideration of perinatal and maternal morbidity reports and initiatives.
You will explore the work of the midwife in supporting women and their families, through topics such as health education, health promotion and health protection. Public health challenges such as obesity, mental health and substance misuse will be introduced alongside the impact of childbirth on long term health outcomes for women and neonates. Infant feeding will be explored in line with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards. Delivering midwifery care to diverse populations will be considered throughout the module and you will have an opportunity to reflect on the impact of midwifery care on the health of women, newborn infants and their families.
MW4005 -
Universal Care and Physiology of Birth (20 Credits)
You will learn about the physiology and care relating to labour and birth. This will include physiology of labour processes, and universal care practices during this period, in keeping with the Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) (Renfrew et al, 2014) and professional standards. You will learn about fetal and maternal wellbeing during labour and birth, transition from pregnancy to motherhood and transition from fetus to neonate. You will be introduced to pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain relief and other medications used during birth. In addition, you will consider the assessment, screening and care planning for mother and baby during labour, birth and the immediate postnatal period, utilising current evidence to support the approaches used. You will explore the values and professional attributes required to support a diverse population through labour, birth and the immediate postnatal period. All topics explored will be relevant to the beginning of your professional journey. You will be assisted to apply this knowledge in supporting and promoting physiological processes for childbearing women through class discussions of midwifery orientated case scenarios related to universal care.
More informationHW5000 -
Skills for Academic Success in a UK University (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.
More informationMW5000 -
Complex & Emergency Childbirth (20 Credits)
The care midwives provide includes preventative measures, the detection of, and response to complications in mother and child, and undertaking first line emergency measures. You will explore the theory and evidence underpinning childbirth emergencies to develop your ability to recognise, diagnose and manage serious complications. You will identify when to summon appropriate assistance and select and justify the first line management of childbirth emergencies, within the scope of midwifery practice. You will also be introduced to aspects of high dependency care that will facilitate the application of knowledge relating to pathophysiology and underpin clinical practice in a variety of care settings.
This module will build on existing knowledge of the normal physiology of pregnancy to introduce you to emergency and high dependency scenarios within midwifery care. This is in keeping with the framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (Renfrew et al 2014) for all childbearing women and infants with complications and NMC Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (2019).
MW5001 -
Complex Fetal & Neonatal Care (20 Credits)
This module consolidates your understanding of the healthy neonate and supports your progression to understand the assessment/care requirements of infants with more complex needs, including the preterm, the intrauterine growth restricted and the ill neonate. Factors that make the fetus/ neonate vulnerable will be explored, including genomics and epigenetics; these will inform your understanding of measures in pregnancy that optimise the condition of the preterm baby and develop your skills in the delivery of neonatal transitional care. This is in keeping with the framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care for all childbearing women and infants with complications and the professional standards for midwives.
Neonatal physical examination skills and understanding will be enhanced, and you will be introduced to the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) screening components and rehearse these skills with supervised simulation.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency fund (UNICEF) (2025) UK Baby-friendly Standards will inform this module content. The benefits and challenges of initiating and sustaining lactation and breastfeeding in complex circumstances will be explored and alternative feeding approaches will be examined. You will develop your understanding of the mother –baby relationship and the skills needed to support early motherhood as an essential component of midwifery care.
MW5002 -
Midwifery Practice 2 (40 Credits)
This module will build on the clinical knowledge and skills gained in year one and develop these as you explore the role of the midwife working with women with complex care needs in a variety of practice settings, in accordance with the framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care and professional proficiencies. You will develop your knowledge and skills in relation to basic life support and newborn life support, medicines management, patient safety, and referral and decision-making to provide care in complex maternity situations.
There will be an introduction to peri-operative care and consideration for surgical birth to include the essential skills required to support intervention, such as cannulation, episiotomy and suturing, and urgent neonatal care. There will be greater understanding of complexities in infant feeding for both the mother and neonate in accordance with UNICEF (2025) UK Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative. In addition, you will explore loss and bereavement, and interprofessional working; with consideration for referral to a multidisciplinary team, human factors, teamwork, professionalism, civility and risk. These areas of practice require that you are able to understand and work across professional boundaries, recognising the impact of the context of care provision on the personal and professional leadership skills you need to demonstrate in practice. The principles of continuity of care will be introduced and explored in preparation for learning in year three and to reflect the holistic nature of midwifery practice.
MW5003 -
Midwifery Additional Care Needs (20 Credits)
This module introduces you to new concepts and further develops existing knowledge and understanding of additional care needs that women and families may encounter throughout the childbirth continuum. The module will explore a variety of additional care needs and the role of the midwife in assessment and care, developing confidence and competence around effective collaborative working and inter-disciplinary practice. You will be supported to analyse the evidence base for practice around additional care needs and apply this to deliver safe, effective care to women in a variety of circumstances. Consideration will be given to a range of conditions and complications arising during and/or due to pregnancy, and of pre-existing conditions that women may enter pregnancy with. This will be supported and guided by up-to-date information on conditions having the greatest impact on maternity care and maternal and fetal health, utilising key sources of information such as MBRRACE and empirical research. The importance of holistic midwifery care in complex circumstances will be highlighted and features as a thread throughout the module content.
More informationMW5004 -
Midwifery Research – Evaluating Evidence and Practice (20 Credits)
This module builds on learning in year 1 to develop your knowledge of midwifery research and other sources of evidence and apply your skills of enquiry and appraisal. You will revisit research designs and methodologies with greater depth and exploration and consider their appropriateness and impact for the midwifery evidence base. This will also include appraisal of evidence from practice, such as clinical audit, enabling you to further combine clinical knowledge and skills to tailor care to women’s circumstances and needs.
You will be supported to develop your critical appraisal skills to increase your understanding and academic expression of the evidence supporting midwifery practice via discussion of a range of research methodologies, methods and critical appraisal tools. This will include critical appraisal of individual studies and academic papers, as well as the contemporary evidence-base, and consideration of research ethics, consent and service user involvement. How evidence informs development of guidelines and policy will be examined along with how these are applied and understood by stakeholders, midwives, women and families. The use of evidence for quality improvement and practice development tools will be discussed regarding application to future practice and narrowing of the theory to practice gap.
Skills for academic writing, evidence searching and retrieval, and referencing will be revisited, and this module content and further skills developed in identifying and appraising evidence, will feed-forward to developing the required scholarly skills for the year 3 capstone project.
HW6000 -
Skills for Academic Success in a UK University (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.
More informationMW6000 -
Leadership & Management (20 Credits)
The emphasis of your learning will be based on the foundations and principles of understanding the national and global context of maternity service provision and exploring the evidence-base and drivers of safe and effective maternity care. Understanding your contribution to leadership from a personal, professional, and organisational perspective will be explored, with a focus on working with others and building effective working practices and relationships within and across professional boundaries. How organisations and individuals are required to engage with and manage change to improve the quality of services will also be explored, with a focus on collaborative models of stakeholder and service user engagement. You will be encouraged to consider and explore key concepts including organisational culture, change management, transformational leadership skills and your ability to work effectively as part of an interprofessional team.
More informationMW6001 -
The Professional Midwife: Consolidation as Student & Scholar (40 Credits)
This module completes your development as a student and a scholar in line with the NMC Future Midwife Standards (NMC 2019), culminating in a Capstone project. The project will involve the selection of an aspect of midwifery practice which you will critique using research and practice evidence and apply this to contemporary woman centred midwifery care. You will identify an element of midwifery service provision that requires improvement or development identified from your time in practice. You will search and critique relevant research and practice evidence and apply this to contemporary woman centred midwifery care. Teaching will encourage you to draw on your previous two years of theory and practice to develop your practice development project proposal. This module encourages consolidation of your understanding of evidence-based practice related to a specific aspect of midwifery. You will undertake an evidence review and thematic analysis of your identified topic to provide an evidence-based rationale for your proposed practice development. In formulating the practice development proposal, you will consider elements related to local and national priorities, service improvement, change management, organisational context and culture, and reflect on your personal and professional development to date, and future professional development needs. This Capstone project will further develop your academic writing style and understanding of the research process to enable possible publication of future research and practice development.
MW6002 -
Midwifery Practice 3 (40 Credits)
This module enables you to demonstrate that you have met the clinical proficiencies required by the NMC Standards for pre-registration midwifery education and can safely and effectively make the transition from student midwife to newly qualified midwifery registrant.
The expectations of professional practice and the NMC Code will be consolidated for example, in relation to the concept of advocacy, protection of vulnerable children and adults, including in end-of-life care. Safe practice is embedded within the module as you revisit skills such as infection control, life support, suturing, Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) and the management of medicines, including meeting prescriber ready status.
The emphasis of your learning will be your role in leading and managing universal care and contributing to additional midwifery care needs tailored to women and families’ individual circumstances, as you demonstrate increasing autonomy in your practice. Continuity opportunities are pivotal to your practice; these provide you with the opportunity to develop your practice and confidence and demonstrate that you have achieved the proficiencies required to become a midwife. Therefore, caseload midwifery is a key focus in your practice learning, providing the opportunity to manage a small caseload of women through their pregnancy journey. You will also engage critically with research relating to models of midwifery care within the UK and globally.
MW6003 -
Preparation for Professional Life (20 Credits)
You will consider learning and teaching and assessment strategies for practice learning and consider theories that inform the development and achievement of professionally recognised standards within a clinical practice learning context.
You will be supported to apply your learning and teaching knowledge and the rehearsal of the skills needed to support student learning in practice; this prepares you to confidently take up the role of Practice Supervisor once you have joined the NMC register as a midwife. You will apply the principles of inclusive and bias-aware language in written and verbal communication across professional learning contexts.
You will explore the concept of continuing professional development and consider the skills required by, and the potential routes to becoming a Practice Assessor, an educator within practice, an academic, an independent practitioner, or a Professional Midwifery Advocate. You will revisit the values required for professional life, debating the contemporary context of professional registration as a midwife.
You will also identify and reflect on employability themes addressed within the preceding modules in your programme and develop a personal audit/refresh checklist that you can use to plan and track your career progression, including the need to evidence your experience and learning for revalidation of your periodic registration as a midwife.
To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
This course aims to prepare you for NMC registration as a midwife and a career supporting women and families through one of life's most significant experiences.
You'll be prepared for roles in hospital and community settings, birth centres and homebirth services. Your practice-based learning develops the emotional intelligence, clinical judgement and resilience demanded by contemporary maternity care.
The course lays the foundation for enhanced roles including non-medical prescribing, physical assessment of the newborn, and leadership positions.
Graduates may progress into specialist areas such as public health, research, education or policy development, contributing to improved outcomes for mothers, infants and families.
You’ll learn from experienced midwifery academics who draw on their research and professional knowledge. Our teaching staff bring expertise in optimising childbirth processes, decolonising the curriculum, public health approaches and contemporary maternity care challenges, connecting their scholarship directly to your learning.
You’ll be based at our Coach Lane campus, home to our Clinical Skills Centre where you'll practise using high-fidelity simulation mannequins including SimMom and SimNewB, replicating real-time decision making in labour, birth and newborn care scenarios.
Our 24/7 Hub for study and group work offers a flexible workspace, whilst the University Library provides specialist midwifery resources and electronic journals.
All of your practice learning is documented electronically using the eMORA system on ARC, mirroring the professional record-keeping standards you'll use throughout your career and making the transition to work life easier.
