Teaching and assessment
Work with experienced academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do.
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.
Teaching
At York, our focus is on making your academic learning relevant to midwifery practice. Our innovative courses use various teaching methods, from lectures and group work to presentation and simulation-based education.
You’ll benefit from a combination of academic support, supervision from clinical midwives in placements, and excellent teaching facilities to help you get the very best out of your time in York.
You will split your time equally between attending lectures and seminars on campus and working out on placement with one of our clinical partners.
Placements
You'll complete placements during each year of your course. These placements will take place in a range of different maternity settings, giving you the chance to try out all of the skills you've learned in your classes and perfected in our Clinical Simulation Unit.
You'll also develop your interpersonal skills through working with real patients and supporting them with midwifery care.
We're committed to making sure you get the most out of your time in placements. Our dedicated Practice Learning Team will help you through each step of your placement experience and help you excel in all you do.
Contact hours and independent study
We've designed our courses so that you split your time equally between theory and practice. You'll spend some weeks on campus and other weeks on placement. On campus you'll attend lectures and seminars and perfect your skills in our Clinical Simulation Unit. During placement weeks, you'll work with our partners across the region.
Your contact hours will vary based on whether you're on campus or in practice.
These hours are an estimate based on a representative first-year student on this course.
| Teaching type | Hours |
|---|---|
|
Theory sessions |
40 hours per week |
|
Placement |
40 hours per week |
| Supervisor meetings A chance to meet with an academic member of staff to talk through your progress, celebrate your achievements and raise any concerns. |
1 hours per term |
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.
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Teaching location
You will be based in the Department of Health Sciences on Campus West. Most of your contact hours will be in Alcuin College, with some additional teaching at various other locations on Campus West.
Practice placements can take place 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.
Assessment
You'll be assessed on both your theoretical and practical skills throughout the course. You will have to successfully complete all areas to be able to progress.
You’ll submit summative work, which counts towards your final degree score, and formative work, which doesn’t count towards your final grade but gives you the chance to practice techniques and receive valuable feedback. We’ll provide detailed feedback on the work you submit, supporting you as you improve and refine your work.
In your final year, you will write a substantive written piece to showcase your depth of knowledge and understanding in relation to leading and advancing change in midwifery practice.