Course details

Study options

Full-time: 3 years

UK fee

£9,250 per year (2024/25)

UCAS points

128-136 (September 2024 entry)

UCAS code

B730

Course level

Undergraduate

Qualification

BSc (Hons)

Start date

September

Location

Derby Campus

Course description

Journey as a student midwife 

As a student midwife you will learn the art and science of midwifery. Becoming a midwife is life changing. It's intense, exciting and hugely rewarding. You'll provide skilled, knowledgeable and compassionate care and that's exactly what we'll train you to do on this degree. As a student midwife you will need to demonstrate your passion in learning about the health of the woman and newborn to become and autonomous, accountable, safe practitioner. 

Are you ready for the challenge?  

The aims of this course are to develop practitioners who: 

Midwives work through many stages of the mother's journey: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, labour and birth, postpartum (after childbirth), and the early days of the new-born’s life. You will support women's wellbeing, future reproductive health, and their transition to parenthood. 

You'll work in partnership with women, enabling and empowering their views, preferences and decisions. As a midwife, you will make a vital contribution to the quality and safety of maternity care. 

 

Learning alongside other healthcare practitioners 

Midwives provide care in many complex, varying situations and you'll always be working with a range of healthcare professionals to promote the best interests of a mother and her baby. This may include GPs, obstetricians, paediatricians, nurses, theatre staff, health visitors, social workers and many more. You will be ideally placed to recognise and act on any physical or psychological changes in the mother, baby or the wider family, and this will usually require you to refer your concerns to other specialist colleagues.   

To prepare you for this, we provide many inter-professional learning opportunities throughout the programme. This might include learning with other healthcare students, particularly for topics like safeguarding, leadership and change management, as well as working alongside practitioners during your placements.  

Midwifery - your questions answered!

In the below video, Senior Lecturer, Debbie Watkinson, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Midwifery at the University of Derby. 

Debbie Watkinson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby, answers students' most frequently asked questions.

View Midwifery - your questions answered! video transcript

Placements 

50% of the course is made up of practical placements, so you'll develop essential clinical skills and gain a genuine feel for the practicalities and demands of the profession. This clinical experience is mandatory for registration with the NMC. These placements could be in the community, on antenatal and postnatal wards, in day assessment units, labour wards, and birth centres. There are also opportunities to gain experience in other settings to expand your experience.

You'll be allocated to a local trust where you will follow a rotation between areas in both maternity and other healthcare settings, and allocated a practice supervisor and assessor who will help you complete your competencies. Placement hours are subject to change.

Evidence-based practice  

This course has been designed to encourage you to think critically and apply evidence to underpin your clinical practice. The course will provide you with a wide knowledge base and is underpinned by national policy. When you graduate you will be confident in using an evidence-based approach to support your decision making in complex mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural situations.

First-class facilities

We offer outstanding learning environments including Clinical Skills Suites built to professional standards with replica wards, counselling rooms and treatment rooms that are fully equipped with the latest clinical resources. Our specialist midwifery equipment includes a birthing pool, birthing beds, birthing stools and birthing balls, as well as model abdomens, pelvises and breasts.

Active research

We have many researchers who active in furthering midwifery research, working hard to advance knowledge in different areas of healthcare and the human sciences. Here are some recent research studies they have conducted, which you may find interesting:

In particular, our Health and Social Care Research Centre spearheads a range of projects aimed at building healthy, sustainable communities. It's a collaboration between the University of Derby, NHS England and the four Clinical Commissioning Committees across Derbyshire.

Financial support to help you succeed

Don’t let financial concerns get in the way of your ambitions. You will be able to access a funding package made up of tuition fee loans and support for your living costs.

You won’t have to pay any money upfront; tuition and living cost loans work just like a tax on your earnings rather than a commercial or payday loan. You will only start paying back the loans when you are earning above £27,295 per year and you will then pay 9% of any income above £27,295. 

You can also secure grants — which do not have to be repaid — to cover childcare and the costs of travelling to your placement.

A Midwifery student demonstrating checking a heartbeat on a mannequin of a baby.
A female Midwifery student using a bump model

What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus entrance

Undergraduate Open Days

The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.

Book your Undergraduate Open DayBook your Undergraduate Open Day

How you will learn

This midwifery degree includes 50% theory and 50% practice. Through our own clinical facilities, and through your placements with trusts, you will gain 2,300 hours of practical experience in the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods, as well as in the care of the newborn baby. You will also gain 2,300 hours of theoretical knowledge. 

For the theoretical aspects of the course, you will receive face-to-face and online teaching, as well as studying independently. To meet your practice requirements, you will need to keep an up-to-date ongoing record of achievement.

The Newborn Infant Physical Examination is taught in this course. This is part of a screening programme which screens babies within 72 hours of birth, and students will complete this qualification.

How you're assessed

We assess you in various ways depending on the module, such as by:

Who you'll meet

Our teaching team is made up of registered midwives who have worked across all areas of maternity care. 

Personal academic tutoring

Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.

Find out more about personal academic tutoring

Who will teach you

Two midwives lowering another into a birthing pool for a demonstration

Jayne Leverton
Programme leader

Jayne joined the University as the Lead Midwife for Education and Senior Lecturer of Midwifery in April 2020. She has worked in many specialist areas within midwifery, the majority of her time at Derby was as matron in the inpatient maternity areas. Jayne was also part of the consulting team when designing the new maternity unit which forms a significant part of the new hospital build.

View full staff profileView full staff profile

Entry requirements

2024 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry. Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points128-136
A LevelAAB-ABB (At least a grade B in either Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Psychology)
T LevelDistinction *please note there must be Science content within your T level study*
BTECDDM. Must include a Science related subject in either Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Psychology. BTEC Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care must include Science modules
GCSEMaths, English and Science at Grade 4/C (or above) Please note we do not accept GCSE Short Courses or GCSE Equivalence Tests from other institutions or organisations
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 24, Merit: 21, Pass: 0. This must include 15 Level 3 credits at Merit in a Science related subject in either Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Psychology

*The University will accept the Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship (maternity route only) in lieu of UCAS points or level 3 qualification requirements. 

Health or care experience to demonstrate an insight into the professional values and behaviours associated with health and care environments is required. It is essential for student midwives to be able to communicate effectively with women, their families and the multidisciplinary team.

Please note that admissions for the course is conducted on a gathered field basis. To find out more about the definition and process of a gathered field please see our Gathered Field Policy.

If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you may be considered for our BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing course. Studying the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing course will provide you with an understanding of compassionate care of mothers and can pave the way towards postgraduate study to enable you to register on the midwifery section of the NMC. Our admissions team will get in touch with you should this option be available to you after your interview. You can study BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing at our Derby or Chesterfield site, starting in either March or September.

Additional entry requirements

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2024/25

 Full-timePart-time
UK

£9,250 per year

N/A

International

N/A

N/A

Funding for Nursing and Allied Health courses

By studying on this programme, you are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. The loan will support your studies and enable you to start a rewarding career in healthcare. 
 
All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.

If you're eligible, you can get: 

Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include: 

In addition to this non-repayable grant, you are also able to access a maintenance loan of up to £9,488 per year to support your studies, giving you access to over £17,000 per year of funding. Training grant payments will be paid in three instalments over the academic year. This is to provide you with a consistent flow of funding throughout the academic year as far as possible. 
 
All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply. 

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


This course isn't currently accepting applications.

Careers

This BSc (Hons) Midwifery provides all the theoretical and practical elements you need to meet the NMC standards and be eligible for registration on the midwifery section of the NMC professional register. It will help you to start a new and highly-rewarding career, as a competent, confident and autonomous midwife, who is capable of making a real, positive difference to the lives of women and their new-born infants, partners and families.  

Once you have graduated and are on the register, you should be able to get an NHS position as a Registered (Graduate) Midwife (NHS Band 5) which will progress to band 6 following successful completion of the trust preceptorship programme. This qualification is also recognised in Europe, as well as other countries, so you could look for a midwife position overseas.

Midwives can work in the trust obstetric maternity unit, midwife led unit or in the community. Midwives may specialise in roles such as a diabetes specialist midwife, bereavement services, vulnerable women or safeguarding. 

After several years, you could progress to be a ward-based manager, specialist midwife, researcher or lecturer.  

This is a new course so we don't yet have employment rates of previous graduates to provide. However, similar programmes, such as Nursing, have had exceptional employment rates: up to 95% of graduates being in further study or work six months after they completed their course.

Midwifery student holding baby doll

Finding my voice as a future midwife

Midwifery student Kayty Richards is President of our new Midwifery Society, Midwifery Rocks. She is passionate about caring and advocating for women, the power of kindness, and peer support.

Read Kayty's blogRead Kayty's blog

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Contact us Contact us

† Additional information about your studies

This course is not open to International students for September 2024.

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees
Mandatory costs not included in your fees
Optional costs not included in your fees

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

Discover Uni

This is a new course so the data displayed via Discover Uni is for students studying in another subject area.

Full-time

Other courses you might like