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Midwifery Studies (Degree Apprenticeship) BSc(Hons)

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

Start date

16 September 2024

3 March 2025

Duration

40 months full-time

Entry requirements

A Level - BBC

BTEC - DMM

See full entry requirements

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Regulated by The Nursing and Midwifery Council, our Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons) also has UNICEF UK Baby Friendly accreditation.
  2. You’ll gain real-world experience through clinical placements in a range of settings including birth centres, midwife-led units, labour suites, antenatal/postnatal wards and in the community.
  3. You’ll be taught by an experienced midwifery team and who have worked in a range of settings and roles, who will use their expertise to bring their teaching to life.

The midwifery apprenticeship course provides learners the opportunity to study on the Midwifery Studies Degree Apprenticeship BSc(Hons) whilst being employed by and working in an NHS Trust. The apprenticeship programme is designed to help you become a competent, confident and autonomous practitioner with the knowledge and skills to pursue a successful midwifery career. Learning from experienced midwives and gaining real-world experience in a variety of healthcare settings, you’ll be able to prepare to make a difference in the lives of women and their families.

  • The apprenticeship course at Huddersfield is designed by midwives, regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and meets the standards set by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
  • You'll be employed by an NHS Trust for the duration of your apprenticeship.
  • Your employer will provide protected time for you to attend the University as a learner and complete the requirements of the Midwifery Studies Degree Apprenticeship BSc(Hons) course.
  • During your midwifery apprenticeship you'll undertake clinical placements in a range of settings including birth centres, midwife-led units, labour suites, antenatal/postnatal wards, as well as in the community.
  • You'll learn how to provide individualised care for the mother/ birthing person and baby throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the early days of parenthood.

You'll be recruited and employed as an apprentice midwife by an NHS Trust for the duration of the apprenticeship training course. You'll spend a small proportion of your contracted hours working for your NHS employer, and in the remainder of your contracted hours you'll be supported to attend the Midwifery Studies Degree Apprenticeship BSc(Hons) course, learning alongside traditional route BSc(Hons) midwifery students. You'll participate in theory-based modules and practice-based modules which will include midwifery clinical practice placements. You'll apply your new knowledge, skills and behaviours within the clinical practice placements, progressively taking more responsibility for contributing to and leading in the care of women/ birthing people and families.

Successful completion of the course will mean that you have met the standards required for registration as a qualified midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

If you’re thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you’ll also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.

Course detail

Core modules:

Biological Sciences for Midwifery - Apprenticeship

This module provides the opportunity for you to develop your understanding of the anatomy and physiology, genetics and genomics relating to pregnancy and childbearing. You’ll learn about the female reproductive system including the physiology of pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal periods, as well as the reproductive system for boys and men. You’ll be introduced to pharmacology and pharmacokinetics and learn about basic pathology, bacteriology, virology and parasitology, as well as basic biophysics, biochemistry and radiology. This knowledge will help you to understand how to optimise physiological processes.

Introduction to Evidence-Informed Enquiry in Midwifery - Apprenticeship

In this module you’ll be introduced to research and evidence-based practice in midwifery. You’ll learn about critical thinking, reasoning and reflection, which are essential skills for contemporary midwifery practice.

Introducing Newborn and Family Health - Apprenticeship

This module introduces you to the midwife’s roles and responsibilities in promoting and supporting family and newborn health and wellbeing. You’ll learn about fetal development and physiological adaptation to newborn life whilst working alongside parents and health and social care colleagues to assess, plan, implement and evaluate family-centred care. This includes screening and diagnostic testing, as well as safeguarding mothers and babies. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how you can support parents in building nurturing relationships with their newborn baby, considering their cultural, psychosocial and health education needs. You’ll also explore the importance of supporting safe, informed and responsive infant feeding and protecting breastfeeding.

Introducing Universal Midwifery Care for all Women - Apprenticeship

This module introduces you to the roles and responsibilities of the midwife in providing universal care to all women, their babies and families. You’ll have the opportunity to gain an insight into the accountability, autonomy and professionalism required for safe, respectful and effective midwifery care across women’s maternity journey. This will include pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, labour and birth and post-partum. Through the module you’ll begin to recognise the importance of midwives working with women and their families, multi-professional and inter-agency teams to provide care that best meets women’s individual needs.

Participating in Midwifery Care - Apprenticeship

You’ll have the opportunity to complete 630 hours on clinical placement within a midwifery practice environment. You’ll be supported to participate in midwifery care that is universal for all women and their families during pregnancy, labour and birth and the postnatal period. This will involve you participating in caring for the newborn and supporting effective infant feeding. This practice-based module will help you to start developing and applying knowledge, skills, values and attitudes within a range of clinical practice settings. It will also provide you with opportunities to work towards the proficiencies and standards required of a registered midwife.

Entry requirements

BBCat A Level including a Biological Science but excluding General Studies. If you are studying a Science A Level, the endorsement for practical work is essential and a requirement for entry to our degree courses.

112 UCAS tariff points from a maximum of three Level 3 qualifications including an A level Biological Science at a minimum grade B and excluding General Studies. The endorsement for practical work is essential and a requirement for entry to our degree courses. Alternatively, a Distinction in BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care is acceptable. Please note that the UCAS points are used as a frame of reference and that applications will not be submitted through UCAS.

DMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care (with a minimum of 4 units in Biological Sciences).

  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 level 3 credits, at least 15 at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit. The course must contain 18 credits in a Biological Science.
  • NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care at Grade B.

In addition, you must:

  • Be employed as an Apprentice Midwife and supported to undertake the course by your employer.
  • You need to demonstrate an understanding of the profession.
  • Have completed 12 years of general education.
  • Have GCSE English Language or Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme and these need to be evidenced prior to commencing on the programme. Alternatively, Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English will be accepted.

Applicants with significant experiences working as a Maternity Support Worker or Senior Healthcare Assistant who have completed an appropriately recognised course as part of their role will be considered for interview.

You’ll need a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to registration on the course. You’ll be required to sign a self-declaration at the start of each year and at the end of the course. All police contact during the course must be reported to the course leader and employer as a matter of urgency and may lead to suspension or termination. We will request an Overseas Police Check if you have lived in a country outside of the UK for 6 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years before applying to us and whilst aged 18 or over.

Offers will be subject to an interview and references. Please note all the information provided in support of your application may be checked and must be verifiable as a true record.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum of IELTS 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

Ofsted Outstanding courses


The University’s apprenticeship provision was awarded an outstanding rating by Ofsted in a recent inspection.

Huddersfield is only the second university to be awarded Ofsted’s outstanding rating for its apprenticeship provision in the last four years.

It is also the only university in the Yorkshire and Humber region and the north-west of England to have both an outstanding Ofsted rating for apprenticeships and to be a TEF Gold-rated university.

The University was awarded outstanding in all five categories:

  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
  • Apprenticeships

The apprenticeship provision was praised by Ofsted for the positive experiences of the apprentices, the research-informed knowledge of teaching staff, and for the strong relationships between the University’s leaders and employers.

Placements


You'll be required to complete a minimum of 2300 hours on clinical practice where your learning will be facilitated and assessed by experienced practising midwives. An exciting range of placement opportunities are available for student midwives including midwife led units, birth centres, labour suites, antenatal/postnatal wards, community midwifery, neonatal care and surgical experience.

You may be required to travel for/during your placements across West Yorkshire and occasionally beyond, covering 24 hour care including evening, weekend and occasional night shifts. For more information visit our placements page.

Your career


Career opportunities after successfully completing this course could include working as midwives within the National Health Service in a variety of roles, including community and hospital-based midwifery.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Human and Health Sciences, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:

Student Hub: a one stop shop for students, studying within the School. Their services include offering advice on extenuating circumstances, extension requests, course progression, suspension and welfare support, organising appointments with academic staff and signposting to other support networks.

Academic Skills Development Team: support students to develop their academic skills and build their confidence in order to improve their grades. The team provide support with academic skills including essay writing, being critical, reflective writing, numeracy, research skills, presentations and group work skills; as well as personal development for example time management.

Learning Technology Support Unit: helps students with any problems they experience with the University’s Brightspace Learning System, including logging on or difficulties experienced when accessing and using modules, and with the PebblePad platform, which is used by students when they go out on placements.

Support services will also be available from your employer.

Important information

When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started

If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.

Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.

If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.

Termination of employment

As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you will be withdrawn from the course.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.

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