Train to become a competent and safe midwifery practitioner with our perfect blend of theory and practice.
Year of entry: 2019
B720
Y50
3 years full-time
Get to know us better and find out what studying and living in York is really like.
Meet usThe BA (Hons) in Midwifery Practice is not just a degree; it will give you entry to a challenging and rewarding professional career.
The course at the University of York is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and on successful completion you will gain entry to the relevant part of the register and be qualified to work as a midwife. The course will equip you to be a safe, clinically competent, reflective practitioner and leader within contemporary midwifery, maternity, and healthcare.
Our course philosophy focuses on both the 'art' and 'science' of midwifery. You will develop effective interpersonal skills to work with women, families and colleagues and provide compassionate care in a variety of social and cultural contexts. To underpin this practice you will also gain a comprehensive understanding of the biological science related to pregnancy and childbirth. Through a range of academic and practical modules you will gain skills and knowledge to enable you to provide evidence-based holistic, women-centred care. Our smaller cohort size encourages greater peer support, and our varied interactive teaching and learning strategies promote student engagement. Distinctive elements include an elective placement, which gives you the opportunity to gain diverse midwifery experiences nationally or internationally, and a variety of practice placements in hospitals, midwifery-led units and community settings.
The programme is fully accredited by the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) which sets standards to facilitate effective parent-baby relationships and choices regarding infant feeding.
Our innovative course uses various teaching methods from lectures and group work, to presentation and simulation-based education. We use the latest technology in our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Unit. This is a series of rooms which replicate a number of areas where you could work including a fully-equipped four bed ward complete with a range of equipment for you to practice on, to community bedrooms and living rooms. These allow you to develop your midwifery skills in a safe environment.
After completing this degree students will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the professional regulatory body for nurses and midwives in the UK.
York is a research-intensive Russell Group university. Our stimulating and supportive midwifery course will enable you to become a self-directed and independent learner. You will gain intellectual independence to enable you to contribute and challenge theory and practice. As a midwifery student at the University of York you will engage in various practice communities across healthcare and education in order to facilitate your intellectual and professional development. A key feature of our course is its ability to enable you to promote best practice and develop a personal philosophy for midwifery.
You will develop the personal and professional skills required to become adept at delivering high standards of women- and family-centred care, while promoting individual and community health and wellbeing. You will learn about specific pregnancy and birth related problems and appropriate midwifery interventions.
You will do half of your learning on this course out in practice. Your practice experience will cover the whole of the region and you will work with our partners across York NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust, as well as other practice providers. You will benefit from a wide range of experiences in different localities and practice settings, from coastal towns to rural communities.
Integrated theoretical learning and clinical practice take place over 45 weeks each year. You will be placed in maternity care settings from the very first term, supported and supervised by a clinical midwife mentor.
At the end of year one you will undertake a medical or surgical four week placement to develop some generic nursing skills that are transferable to midwifery practice.
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
At the end of Year two, students have the opportunity to go anywhere in the world on elective placement for four weeks to learn about midwifery in different settings. Some students choose to do two two-week placements.
During year three of the course you will begin case loading for a small number of women you care for. This will enable you to care for women throughout the pregnancy and childbirth continuum.
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Our course is designed in partnership with Health and Social Care providers across North Yorkshire
Staff are active in research and your teaching is informed by the latest developments
The fees and funding figures below are for 2019 entry. If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year.
| UK/EU | International |
|---|---|
| £9,250 | tbc |
Costs for uniform provision, Occupational Health Screening, and Disclosure and Barring Service checks are included in your student fees. You will have to meet the costs of uniform replacement or missed occupational health appointments. You will also have to pay for Professional Association Fees (Indemnity) which is covered in the Royal College of Midwifery (RCM) or Unison Student Membership which is approximately £30. Elective placements are compulsory and can incur costs, which will depend on what you choose to do. You should refer to the Departmental webpage for up to date Fees and Finance advice.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK, EU or international student.
For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.
We offer a number of scholarships to help cover tuition fees and living costs.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
“Students from all backgrounds achieve consistently outstanding outcomes”
The TEF Panel, Office for Students, June 2018
Our Gold Teaching Excellence Framework award demonstrates our commitment to the delivery of consistently outstanding teaching and learning for our students.
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
You will gain clinical experience in both hospitals and community settings throughout our region. You will also be given the opportunity to access medical and surgical nursing placements and an elective placement of your choosing.
Each year is made up of four terms. The first six terms of the course focus on the care of women and families throughout normal pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal adaptation to motherhood. The emphasis is on facilitating the development of your knowledge, skills and understanding of normality so that you can then be alert to situations and clinical presentations that deviate from this.
During the third year, your learning will focus on how the midwife can facilitate optimal maternal and neonatal health in complex social circumstances. You will explore the concept of skilled companionship in midwifery and its application to practice. You will also have the opportunity to caseload a select group of clients with the aim of offering continuity of care throughout the childbirth continuum.
As a guide, students on this course typically spend their time as follows:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures and seminars | 408 hours | 396 hours | 372 hours |
| Placement | 588 hours | 576 hours | 588 hours |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
The rest of your time on the course will be spent on independent study. This may include preparation for lectures and seminars, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours will vary from person to person. In UK higher education the expectation is that full-time students will spend 1,200 hours a year learning.
We use the latest technology in our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Unit. This is a series of rooms which replicate a number of areas where you could work including a fully-equipped four bed ward complete with a range of equipment for you to practice on. Is it a safe and supportive environment where you can enhance your clinical skills to support you in midwifery practice. This environment allows you to gain confidence in developing your communication skills with the help of simulated actors and scenarios relevant to midwifery practice. Students on the midwifery programme will practise skills and drills in obstetric and midwifery emergencies using up-to-date equipment with support from midwifery lecturers.
You will be based in the Department of Health Sciences, which is based on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in Alcuin college, with some additional teaching at various other locations on Campus West.
You will also undertake practice placements as part of this course. The placements will be assigned by the department and you will be supported by a link lecturer and practice mentor. These practice placement experiences will cover a range of nursing and healthcare settings from hospital, community and private and voluntary sector. They can be across the whole of the North Yorkshire region. You will have to fund travel costs to placements, although you may be eligible for some travel cost reimbursement. Please see our frequently asked questions page for more information.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
We use a diverse range of assessment methods to demonstrate your learning outcomes. These include, exams, poster presentation, use of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and vivas.
Individual written assessment feedback will be provided to you for every piece of summatively assessed work, with the exception of closed examinations. Your feedback may also be provided verbally. Verbal feedback can be on a one-to-one basis with an academic member of staff or delivered to you as a group.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exams | 58% | 34% | 0% |
| Coursework | 17% | 41% | 75% |
| Practical exams | 25% | 25% | 25% |
The figures above are based on data from 2016/17.
We have an excellent record in students achieving immediate employment after their pre-registration Midwifery programmes. Many go into careers with NHS Trusts in North Yorkshire or pursue other national and international opportunities. Careers advice and assistance is available from the Department and the University Careers team. Upon completion of your course, there are also plenty of opportunities for further study.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| A levels | Three A levels at grades ABB. Please note we do not accept General Studies or Critical Thinking as a subject choice. |
| GCSEs | You should already hold GCSE English Language, Maths and Science at grade 4 (C) or above, or equivalent qualifications, at the point of application. Applicants undertaking GCSE resits or commencing an equivalent qualification after application will not be considered. You must hold these qualifications at the time of applying unless they are incorporated within your programme of study, for instance Access programmes and BTECs. |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | Pass 60 credits with at least 45 credits achieved at Level 3. You must achieve 30 level 3 credits at distinction and 15 level 3 credits at merit. At least 15 level 3 credits should be in science subjects. We will not normally consider applicants who have progressed to an access course within three years of taking A levels and failing to achieve the necessary grades for entry to the course. |
| BTEC | BTEC National Extended Diploma: DDM, BTEC National Extended Diploma in Early Years or BTEC National Certificate in Early Years (Theory and Practical): DDD. |
| Cambridge Pre-U | Pass with D3/M2 in three Principal Subjects / Global Perspectives |
| European Baccalaureate | 75% overall average |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 |
| Irish leaving Certificate | H2,H2,H3,H3,H3,H3 |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | SQA Highers (without AH) - AAABB SQA Advanced Highers + Highers - AB + AABBB |
| Other qualifications | Other qualifications are accepted by the University, please contact the department for more information. |
If you achieve a C or higher at EPQ, you will be eligible for a reduced offer, one grade below our typical offer.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
IELTS: 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in each component
For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
To apply to York, you will need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
Please note that international students are not currently eligible to apply for this course.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
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