Midwifery Studies MSc
3 Year Full Time | January Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Placement
Midwifery Studies MSc
Overview
This course has specific application deadlines please visit our deadlines page for details.
Become a compassionate midwife committed to ensuring women have a safe and life-enhancing experience during their maternity care.
This three-year masters combines hands-on clinical practice with advanced academic study, linking core midwifery principles with preparation for modern practice. You'll study anatomy, physiology, public health and midwifery care from pregnancy through to postnatal, working with realistic simulators in our Clinical Skills Centre and applying your skills in NHS placements.
From year one, you'll work alongside experienced midwives providing care to women and families.
Your learning will be assessed through a combination of exams, presentations, case studies and practice portfolios, culminating in a leadership placement and 10,000-word research project in your final year.
Successful completion of this course prepares you to register as a midwife in the UK and pursue careers in clinical practice, specialist roles, education or research.
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.
Get a £5,000 NHS Training Grant during your studies. Subject to eligibility. Find out more on the NHS BSA website.
Entry Requirements 2026/27
Standard Entry
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree.
Applicants should have a GCSE grade 4 (grade C) or above in Mathematics, English Language and a Science subject, prior to submitting their application.
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:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 with at least 6.5 in the written section and at least 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections 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.
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
Fees and Funding 2026/27 Entry
Full UK Fee: £9,790
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.
*if your course is longer than one year
Full International Fee: £19,850
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.
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
Modules Overview 2026/27
Modules
Look out for module specifics coming soon. Please keep checking this webpage for information.
Year One
Build foundations in anatomy, physiology and public health whilst developing universal care skills. Begin supervised clinical placements experiencing pregnancy, birth and postnatal care. Assessments may include exams and presentations.
Year Two
Study complex childbirth scenarios, pathophysiology and emergency management through simulation. Develop additional care skills in labour ward placements. Complete OSCE assessments whilst proposing your research project.
Year Three
Be the lead midwife for a small group of women, supporting them from pregnancy through birth to postnatal care. Embark on leadership and specialist placements and finalise your studies with a 10,000-word research dissertation demonstrating full NMC proficiencies.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
Year one
HW7000 -
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 informationMW6004 -
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), (Renfrew et al, 2014). The principles of pharmacology, genetics and elements of immunology and microbiology will be introduced and discussed.
More informationMW6005 -
Universal Care & Adaptation to Pregnancy (20 Credits)
You will consider how the application of the physiological adaptations of the body during pregnancy inform 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, (Renfrew et al, 2014), and the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Proficiency for Midwives (2019). 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 will be relevant to the beginning of your professional journey. You will be assisted to apply this knowledge in supporting and promoting l universal care, assessment and screening through class discussions of midwifery orientated case scenarios and utilisation of technology enhanced learning (TEL).
More informationMW6006 -
Professional & Academic Practice (Core – for International and EU students only,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.
More informationMW6006 -
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.
More informationMW6007 -
Midwifery Practice 1 (Core – for International and EU students only,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 the NMC Standards for Proficiency for Midwives (2019). 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 a number of 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 sessions related to infant feeding and early relationship building will support delivery of the the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF), (2025) Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards.
BFI principles are incorporated into the programme to develop you to develop proficiency in supporting breastfeeding, addressing challenges and communicating sensitively with families.
MW6007 -
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 the NMC Standards for Proficiency for Midwives (2019). 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 a number of 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 sessions related to infant feeding and early relationship building will support delivery of the the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF), (2025) Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards.
BFI principles are incorporated into the programme to develop you to develop proficiency in supporting breastfeeding, addressing challenges and communicating sensitively with families.
MW6008 -
Public Health (20 Credits)
During this module, you will explore the role of the midwife as a public health practitioner and advocate for population wellbeing. You will learn to critically evaluate how midwifery practice contributes to improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and promoting lifelong wellbeing for women, infants, families, and communities. 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 engage with contemporary public health priorities, such as maternal mental health, infant feeding, health inequalities, social determinants of health, and safeguarding vulnerable populations. The module integrates evidence-based approaches to health promotion, preventive care, and policy implementation within midwifery contexts. 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.
Students will also explore the UNICEF (2025) UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards as a key framework for promoting optimal infant feeding and parent–infant relationships, examining how midwives support behaviour change through effective communication, education, and partnership with families.
Delivery of 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.
MW6009 -
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 the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Proficiency for Midwives (2019). 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 which are 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 informationYear two
MW7000 -
Complex & Emergency Childbirth, Fetal & Neonatal Care (30 Credits)
The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC 2019) recognise that midwives care includes, the promotion of physiological processes but are ideally placed to anticipate, recognise and prevent complications in mother and child. Midwives are responsible for recognising such situations and providing immediate care, management, escalation and collaboration with the multidisciplinary team ensuring coordination of care that focuses on woman and neonates needs and supporting choice and preferences (NMC 2019 & 2025).
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 for all childbearing women and infants with complications (Renfrew et al 2014) and the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (2019). You will explore the theory and evidence underpinning childbirth and neonatal emergencies and additional care needs, to develop your ability to recognise, diagnose and manage serious complications. You will identify when to summon appropriate assistance and select and justify the management of childbirth and neonatal emergencies and additional neonatal care needs, 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.
MW7001 -
Midwifery Practice 2 (20 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, QMNC), (Renfrew et al, 2014). 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. 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.
Teaching strategies will include case-based scenarios, enquiry-based learning and reflection on practice to ensure an authentic learning experience. 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. There will be greater understanding of complexities in infant feeding for both the mother and neonate in accordance with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2025) UK Breastfeeding Friendly Initiative.
MW7002 -
Midwifery Additional Care Needs & Pathophysiology (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 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 critically analyse and appraise the evidence base for practice around additional care needs and apply this to deliver safe, effective care to women in a variety of circumstances. This will include being supported to synthesize the evidence available to suggest future directions for practice. Consideration will be given to a range of conditions and complications arising during and/or because of 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 Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) 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 informationMW7003 -
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 will feed-forward to developing your scholarly skills for the year 3 research project.
Year three
MW7004 -
Midwifery Practice 3 & Preparation for Professional Life (30 Credits)
This module enables you to demonstrate that you have met the clinical proficiencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (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) 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. You will revisit the values required for professional life, debating the contemporary context of professional registration as a midwife.
This module also offers an opportunity to critically explore and reflect on the values and skills needed for facilitating the learning, teaching and assessment of professional values, behaviours and proficiencies. A Simulated ‘unfolding’ case study role play with peer group discussion provides an anchoring thread throughout the module; a realistic scenario based around practice learning unfolds to add new information, requiring students to make a series of decisions in response to a dynamic situation, mirroring real world practice learning in midwifery practice. This is a safe space to practice dealing with complex or challenging situations for the first time, which builds confidence for real-world practice supervision, so that you can act as a Practice Supervisor following registration as a midwife.
You will explore the concept of continuing professional development and consider the skills required by, and the potential routes after qualifying as a registered midwife, to becoming a Practice Assessor, an educator within practice, an academic, an independent practitioner, or a Professional Midwifery Advocate.
MW7005 -
Developing Midwifery Practice through Research (60 Credits)
This year three module will develop you as a student and scholar, in line with the NMC Future Midwife Standards. It will build directly on the proficiencies outlined in Domain 5 Promoting Excellence: the midwife as colleague, scholar and leader.
You will have the opportunity to learn about the essential role of research in midwifery and how evidence from a variety of sources drives improvements in the quality and safety of maternity care. You will be provided with information about methodologies, theories, methods, and frameworks that underpin research practice and situate these in the context of current issues in midwifery practice at local, national, and international levels. You will be encouraged to apply principles of partnership, collaboration and interdisciplinary working to research and to take a critical approach to understanding factors that influence health research and research priorities in reproductive health. You will explore important related disciplines and methodologies such as health economics and coproduction. Your learning will be used to inform a Research Proposal, designed to explore an evidence gap around an area of innovation in the provision of safe and effective woman-centred midwifery care.
This is a year-long module, providing the time to develop a research topic which reflects the complexities of providing physically, psychologically and emotionally competent care and support to women, infants and their families. You will develop leadership skills around dissemination of research findings and the implementation of evidence into clinical practice.
Why Study Midwifery at Northumbria?
- High Employability Rate - 100% of our Midwifery graduates are in highly skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduation (Guardian University Guide, 2026).
- Research Powerhouse - Northumbria’s research in Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy is ranked 8th in the UK for research power, out of 91 submissions (REF, 2021).
Careers & Employability
We aim to prepare you as a registered midwife, ready to make a difference across hospital and community settings. Your masters-level qualification opens doors to leadership opportunities, specialist areas including perinatal mental health, and roles in education or policy.
The course equips you for advanced practice areas, such as non-medical prescribing and newborn physical examination. In year three, you can choose elective placements that match your career interests and explore the areas of midwifery that inspire you.
Our Graduate Futures team supports your transition through CV development and interview preparation. Career paths include community midwifery, birth centre roles, consultant positions, research and teaching.
Staff Expertise
You’ll be taught by registered midwives who combine clinical backgrounds in NHS practice with midwifery research. Our team bring expertise in perinatal mental health, public health, maternity service transformation and clinical leadership, informing teaching with real-world experience and current practice developments.
Facilities
You’ll study at Coach Lane Campus, home to our Clinical Skills Centre, where you will have the opportunity to use SimMom birthing simulators and SimNewB infant mannequins, as well as practice cannulation, suturing and newborn examination in realistic clinical environments before taking your skills into placements. You will also have access to web-based platforms for clinical numeracy and medicines management assessments.
Our 24/7 Hub for study and group work offers a flexible workspace, whilst the University Library provides specialist midwifery resources and electronic journals. Blackboard Ultra contains lecture materials, interactive activities and your electronic practice portfolio where you’ll record your clinical achievements throughout placements with supervisors and assessors.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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Page last updated 27/08/26
