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Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons)

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    Overview

    Are you passionate about delivering the best and safest care during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatally? On our Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons) degree, you’ll learn how to provide individualised care for the mother and baby throughout pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the early days of parenthood.

    During this degree, you’ll have the opportunity to build excellent knowledge of the theory of midwifery. Across all areas of teaching, we focus on the promotion of normality, health, and the safe management of pregnancy, to ensure the best possible outcomes for parents and the newborn.

    You’ll learn from experienced midwives, via a blend of on-campus theory and clinical skills simulation, as well as gaining real-world experience via a range of placements. You’ll build your communication and interpersonal skills on campus and via clinical placements. These will be taken throughout the course and in a range of settings, including birth centres, midwife-led units, labour suites, antenatal/postnatal wards, and within the community.

    Why study Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons)

    We've ranked 6th in the UK (Top in Yorkshire) for Midwifery, in the Guardian League Tables 2025.

    Regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the course has UNICEF UK Baby Friendly-accreditation.

    For those who wish to delve into the world of midwifery, this course will help prepare you for a potentially rewarding career as a healthcare professional.

    The University’s new Daphne Steele Building is now open on the site of the National Health Innovation campus. This allows our Midwifery students to benefit from specialist clinical teaching facilities and world-leading research facilities.

    Also, our Health and Wellbeing Academy at the University of Huddersfield provides dynamic, interprofessional placement opportunities, enabling you to gain real-world experience in schools, community settings, and across various sectors. Through initiatives such as Get Set Goal and Restart a Heart, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your learning in practical ways, delivering health checks, wellbeing support, and CPR training to diverse audiences. Supported by experienced academic staff, these placements help you develop a wide range of skills including communication, public health education, leadership, teamwork, data capture, and audit, preparing you for future professional practice.

    Students studying this course may be eligible to receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each year. Further information is available on the NHS Learning Support Fund Website.

    Not quite ready to start Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons)? Successful completion of our Health Foundation Pathway leading to a BSc(Hons) Degree will equip you with the foundation knowledge to study Midwifery Studies.

    Entry requirements

    ABB at A Level including a Biological Science (Biology, Human Biology, Applied Human Biology, PE, Applied Science, Biomedical Science or Medical Science), or Social Science (Psychology, Sociology or Forensics), 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.

    128 UCAS tariff points from a maximum of three Level 3 qualifications including an A Level Biological Science (Biology, Human Biology, Applied Human Biology, PE, Applied Science, Biomedical Science or Medical Science), or Social Science (Psychology, Sociology or Forensics) at a minimum grade B. Alternatively, a Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Diploma/Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate in Health and Social Care or a Level 3 Applied Diploma/Extended Certificate in Medical Science at a minimum Grade B is acceptable. General Studies, AS Levels and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) are excluded. If you are studying a Science A Level, the endorsement for practical work is essential and a requirement for entry to our degree courses. Double graded qualifications will be counted as 2 of the 3 qualifications.

    Distinction in T Level in Health or Healthcare Science.

    DDM in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care, Applied Science, Medical Science or Biomedical Science.

    • NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care at grade B.
    • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above, including at least 30 at Distinction. The course must contain at least 18 credits in a relevant Biological or Social Science.
    • 128 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications including a Biological Science at Higher Level at grade 6.

    In addition, you must 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.

    If you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry to this degree you may be able to apply to our Health Foundation Pathway leading to a BSc(Hons) Degree.

    You should have:

    • The ability to demonstrate that you have a broad understanding of the role of the midwife and midwifery practice.
    • Relevant work experience that enables you to discuss and provide evidence of transferable skills, which will help you meet the requirements of the role and midwifery practice. This should also enable you to demonstrate an understanding of women’s needs and that you have ‘customer facing’ skills for example communication and team work.
    • Offers will be subject to an interview. Please note all the information provided in support of your application may be checked and must be verifiable as a true record.
    • You also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and occupational health clearances prior to registration on the course. We arrange these as part of the application process. 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 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

    Placement providers for this course may require you to have received a number of vaccinations, unless medically exempt, and provide evidence of these. As a student on a course with a clinical or healthcare placement, we strongly recommend that you complete any courses of vaccinations required under current guidelines for your future profession. Failure to do so may result in your inability to undertake a placement in certain clinical settings, therefore impacting upon your academic progression, and may result in academic failure of your course.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Course Detail

    Core modules:

    Biology for Midwifery Practice

    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 for boys and men. You’ll be introduced to pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. You’ll 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

    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

    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 with a view to 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

    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 this module you’ll start 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

    You’ll have the opportunity to complete 750 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.

    Core modules:

    Challenges to Newborn and Family Health

    This module develops prior knowledge and skills relating to newborn and family health. You’ll study health and social care legislation, public health and health promotion issues. You’ll examine the social and mental health needs of women, partners and babies. You’ll have the opportunity to develop skills to contribute to holistic systematic newborn examinations and additional care for newborn infants with complications. This includes supporting parents, promoting parent-newborn relationships and infant-feeding in challenging situations. You’ll learn to recognise compromise and deterioration in newborn and family health, initiate first-line management, escalate concerns and collaborate across professions and agencies to contribute to evidence-based management and care.

    Contributing to Midwifery Practice

    This practice-based module will provide you with the opportunity to develop and apply midwifery knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in a variety of clinical placements, whilst supported by a range of health professional practice supervisors. In addition to providing universal care for all women, their families and newborn infants, you’ll contribute to providing additional care for women and newborn infants with complications and challenges to family health. This will include public health, health protection, reproductive, medical and surgical conditions. The module will provide you with opportunities to progress towards achieving the proficiencies and standards required of a registered midwife.

    Evidence Based Midwifery Practice

    This module explores a range of methods and approaches, using seminal and emerging research, providing the opportunity for you to develop critical awareness of research methods and practice. You’ll make decisions regarding which research methods are suitable to answer research questions emerging from practice. You'll consider how judgements are made about research quality and will address ethical, political and financial constraints on research.

    Supporting Women with Additional Care Needs

    In this module you’ll explore the midwife’s role and responsibilities in meeting the additional care needs of women with complications. You’ll learn about pathology, pre-existing, current and emerging complications and additional care needs affecting childbearing women, as well as how these complications can affect women’s health and wellbeing. You’ll have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to recognise compromise and deterioration, provide first-line management, escalate concerns appropriately and work collaboratively with the interprofessional team to provide evidence-based best practice approaches to management and care. This will comprise situations including breech birth, haemorrhage and caesarean and conditions such as diabetes.

    Core modules:

    Advocacy and Leadership in Midwifery Practice

    In this module you’ll consolidate prior learning and develop the knowledge, skills and attributes of an accountable, autonomous midwife who effectively collaborates with and supports the development of others. You’ll explore the midwife’s role as a leader, role model and advocate for change. You’ll examine the midwife’s role in quality improvement and how environmental factors can influence care quality and outcomes. You’ll also explore the midwife’s roles in advocating for women and their families, as well as supporting women’s choices in unpredictable and pathological situations. You’ll learn the principles and methods of teaching to enable you to supervise students.

    Care and Systematic Assessment of the Newborn

    This module is designed to strengthen your ability to holistically assess and promote newborn health and wellbeing and promote parent’s confidence in evaluating and meeting their newborn infant’s needs, including infant feeding. You’ll apply fetal and newborn anatomy, physiology and pathology and professional accountability to conduct newborn assessments in the practice setting supported by appropriately qualified health professionals. This includes supporting parents to make informed choices regarding their newborn infant and sensitively sharing the results of assessments, providing the opportunity to build confidence in identifying complications, making appropriate referrals and facilitating care transfer.

    Midwifery Research Project

    This module builds on the skills you’ve previously developed at intermediate level and provides the opportunity for you to undertake a research project on a midwifery topic of your choice. You’ll choose from a variety of research methodologies, including qualitative, quantitative or a literature review.

    Proficiency in Midwifery Practice

    In this module, you’ll undertake clinical placements in a variety of midwifery settings to consolidate prior learning and incorporate additional evidence-informed midwifery knowledge, skills and attributes. You’ll have the opportunity to develop proficiency in the full range of midwifery care for women, their babies and families, including continuity of care, assessment and evaluation, decision-making, organisation and management of care. You’ll contribute to care improvement strategies, safe and effective team-working and supporting learners’ development in providing midwifery care. This experience will enable you to achieve the proficiencies and standards required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and European Directives for professional midwifery practice.

    This course has modules making up 360 credits over the 3 Years, with each credit being 10 hours of study (3600 hours in total). An average of approximately* 14.2% (741 hours) of the study time on this course is spent with your tutors face to face or online in lectures, seminars and tutorials. The remainder of the time will be spent on independent study. Assessments takes place through a variety of coursework, practice/competency-based learning and examination, including portfolio work to support practice modules, individual and group presentations, conference presentations, poster presentations, oral examination, OSCE, essays and workbooks.

    Subject to mode of study. *Based on current core modules.

    Calculated using data from the academic year 2024/25, as of November 2024.

    Teaching

    The teaching year for most courses normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Teaching on other courses including professional courses, postgraduate taught, research, distance learning and apprenticeship may have other start dates including January and May. All start dates can be found on each course page and term dates are also available. Students on a full-time course may have to attend every day of the week. Students who choose to study a full-time course on a part-time basis will generally attend modules at the same time as our full-time students. Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

    Our courses are taught at our University campus and you can expect that your lectures and seminars will be held face to face, except in cases of emergency or if specifically stated otherwise in the module description.

    Feedback

    Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

    Progression

    You may progress to the next stage of your course or research degree, subject to meeting University assessment criteria and professional, statutory or regulatory body guidelines.

    1. The University of Huddersfield has been rated Gold in all three aspects of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. We were the only university in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West to achieve Gold ratings in all three aspects of the TEF among those announced in September 2023. In fact only 13 Universities, out of the 96 that were announced in September 2023, were Gold in all three ratings.

    2. Our teaching staff rank first in England for the proportion with higher degrees and teaching qualifications, as well as being top five for those holding doctorates (HESA 2025). So you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    3. We are second in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 24 since 2008 (2025 data).

    4. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

    Visit ‘Our experts’ page where you’ll find in-depth profiles of all our academic staff

    At Huddersfield, you'll study the Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. On completion of the Award, you'll receive a GPA certificate from the University of Huddersfield, alongside the specialist subject skills and knowledge you gain as part of your degree, which may help to set you apart from other graduates.

    Giving students access to the Global Professional Award is one of the reasons the University won ‘Best University Employability Strategy’ award at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2021. Find out more on the Global Professional Award webpage.

    *full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees.

    Placements

    You'll spend between 24 and 27 weeks each year undertaking compulsory 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. Placements are usually undertaken within local NHS Trusts, however in Year 3 you may have the opportunity to arrange and undertake an elective midwifery placement.

    Please note that 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.

    Also, our Health and Wellbeing Academy at the University of Huddersfield provides dynamic, interprofessional placement opportunities, enabling you to gain real-world experience in schools, community settings, and across various sectors. Through initiatives such as Get Set Goal and Restart a Heart, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your learning in practical ways, delivering health checks, wellbeing support, and CPR training to diverse audiences. Supported by experienced academic staff, these placements help you develop a wide range of skills including communication, public health education, leadership, teamwork, data capture, and audit, preparing you for future professional practice.

    “Placements within different settings of maternity care have enabled me to gain a real insight, develop various skills, put theory into practice and shown how each department liaises and provides a multidisciplinary team approach.”

    Jadie Jack, current student

    Jodie Jack, Graduated from Midwifery Studies BSc(Hons) in 2021.

    Student midwife assessing neonatal wellbeing.
    Practising the mechanism of labour for breech.
    Student midwives practising neonatal life support.
    Practising how to take blood pressure.
    Students measuring the fundal height.
    Providing support in the first stage of labour.
    Equipment for complications with newborn baby.
    Adapting to upright position for breech labour.

    Discover more about the course

    Your Career

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    Professional links and accreditation

    Recognised connections to give you an extra edge when you graduate.

    Inspiring Graduate

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    Careers advice

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    Student Support

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    Further Study

    Learn about pursuing a Master’s or PhD at Huddersfield.

    Research Excellence

    See how our innovative research shapes what you'll learn.

    Important information

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

    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 are not yet enrolled on

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and if you are unhappy with the change we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes 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 (part time provision), 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 or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff being unable to teach due to illness, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will consult with affected groups of students and any changes would only be made in accordance with our regulations. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you let us know before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for any additional tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so and you may be eligible for an exit award depending on how far through your course you are.

    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 in accordance with the student protection plan.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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