Midwifery BM



Gain the academic and practical knowledge and skills required to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a midwife

Overview

We offer you the best start in studying the art and science of midwifery.

At Edinburgh Napier University you have the exciting opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills to ensure that the care offered to women and their families has a woman centred approach and prioritises the ethos of compassion and professionalism.

As a midwife you will be recognised as an expert in supporting, advising and advocating for women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum care. This course offers you the opportunity to develop clinical midwifery practice in a variety of healthcare settings. We work closely with local healthcare providers to organise work placements which allow you to put theory into practice, and you’ll get to prepare in advance in our state of the art simulated clinical environments. You will be supported by a team of midwife lecturers who have a wealth of expertise in both clinical practice and current research.

Midwives are autonomous practitioners who practice in a multi-disciplinary care setting and midwifery is a very distinct independent health profession which possesses its own knowledge skills and competencies. Midwifery care holistically encompasses the unique experience of each individual woman throughout their journey.

Please note: We will have a newly NMC accredited Midwifery Programme from September 2021.

If you have a degree already, you may also be eligible to study our Masters in Midwifery (MM) programme designed for graduates, which enables you to achieve a post-graduate Masters qualification alongside your nursing registration.

We have a 96% satisfaction rate for our Midwifery course (National Student Survey, 2023).

Midwifery student in the Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre.

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

3 years

Start date:

Sep

UCAS code:

B720

Placement:

Yes

Study Abroad:

Yes

Course details

In your theoretical study of midwifery, we will teach you using a blended learning approach, which includes lectures, tutorials, online self-directed learning and workshops. You will prepare for your placements in our simulated clinical environment prior to your practice placements across South-East Scotland. Notable midwifery skills include:

  • Communication skills
  • Breast feeding
  • Normal labour and birth
  • Initial consultation and history taking
  • Medicines management

On placement you will relate theory to real life practice supported by a placement supervisor/assessor specifically trained to support you and assess your achievement.

The experience you gain will enable you to become a conscientious midwife and contribute positively to midwifery practice. You’ll become knowledgeable and skilled in the care of pregnant women, their babies and families and graduate ready to go straight into work.

You will also be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This qualification means that you have been assessed to be a safe and competent midwife with the necessary understanding and abilities.

Additional mandatory costs

Year 3: Students are expected to pay for the registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, £120.

  • calendar

    How you’ll be taught

    Your learning experience will be supported by: lectures, tutorials, group work, skills simulation classes and work placements.
  • note and pen

    Assessments

    Academic writing, including essays and reports, exams and assessment in clinical placements.
  • briefcase

    Work placement

    We work closely with local healthcare providers to organise placements which allow you to put theory into practice, and you’ll get to prepare in advance in our simulated clinical environments.

    Practice placement experiences will reflect the current and emerging model of continuity of carer with implementation of The Best Start: A five-year forward plan for maternity and neonatal care in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2017).  This will involve caring for women through all stages of pregnancy, birth and postnatal periods.  As a result students will shadow their midwifery mentors working a variety of shift patterns to meet the needs of their case load.
  • study abroad

    Study abroad

    Within this programme you will have the opportunity to arrange an elective midwifery placement in Year 3. This can be arranged outwith NHS Lothian and Borders or with international partners or organisations.

    Students have previously undertaken placements in Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium, Zambia and various countries in between.

Popular modules

Year 1

  • Introduction to professional midwifery practice
  • Ante-natal and post-natal midwifery care
  • The science of midwifery
  • The evidence base for normal labour and birth
  • Midwifery care of the new-born and family
  • Midwifery practice

Year 2

  • Integrated health and social care and midwifery
  • Midwifery practice 2
  • Medical disorders and the midwife
  • Midwifery practice 3
  • Midwifery care and emergencies around childbirth
  • Midwifery practice 4

Year 3

  • Research skills for professional midwifery practice
  • Midwifery practice 5
  • Women-centred care in midwifery practice
  • Midwifery practice 6
  • Midwifery practice 7

ACCREDITED BY

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Midwifery?

Our entry requirements indicate both Standard and Minimum qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

Admission to the programme is also dependent upon a satisfactory Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) check. This will be conducted as part of the induction week. The cost of the PVG check will be paid by the University.

Please note all qualifications should have been taken within the past five years.

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto this programme.

Selection Test 

Part of the selection process for entry to the programme of your choice will include a computer based Confident Caring Assessment (CCA) where you will be given a short video and related scenario with questions. This is an assessment of the attributes expected of a nurse/ midwife, not your clinical knowledge and skills. It is designed to assess the qualities needed to work as a nurse/ midwife and the proficiencies outlined in the:  

Nurses Standards of proficiency 

Standards of proficiency for midwives 

The Code and watch these short videos

It presents a series of work-related situations, and you will be questioned about how you would respond. All applicants are required to sit the CCA. 

If you require adjustment for a learning support need, please get in touch by emailing nursingandmidwifery@napier.ac.uk before your selection event.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the undergraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

 

 

Minimum Year 1

SQA Higher

  • Standard Offer Entry Requirement: BBBC including English and Biology or Human Biology. National 5 grade C in Maths OR Applications of Maths
  • Minimum Offer Entry Requirement: BBCC including English and Biology or Human Biology. National 5 grade C in Maths OR Applications of Maths

You may be given an adjusted offer of entry if you meet our specified minimum entry requirements within our widening participation criteria and outlined in our Contextual Admissions Policy.  Click here for further information about our entry requirements and admissions policies.

A Level

  • BCC including a Literary subject* and Biology, Applied Science or Life and Health Sciences
  • GCSE grade C/4 in Maths
  • GCSE grade C/4 in English required for candidates who do not have A Level English

BTEC National Extended Diploma Level 3

  • Minimum grades DMM (Distinction, Merit, Merit) in Health and Social Care and A Level Biology or Applied Science grade C
  • GCSE grade C/4 in Maths
  • OR Minimum grades DMM (Distinction, Merit, Merit) in Applied Sciences and A Level English or Alternative Literary subject at grade C
  • GCSE grade C/4 in Maths

Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded in 2017)

  • H2, H3, H3, H3 at Higher Level including English and Biology
  • OL: Maths at O3

HNC

  • Care and Administrative Practice or Healthcare Practice with grade B in the graded unit.
  • Higher Biology or Human Biology at grade C or above also required.

T level

  • Pass in Health, Healthcare Science or Science with grade C or above in the Core component. A level Biology or Applied Science at grade C or above also required.
  • GCSE grade C/4 in English and Maths.

Access Courses

Midwifery Courses

Students on SWAP Access to Nursing course are not considered for the Midwifery course.

For applicants studying SWAP Access to Medical Studies or SWAP Access to Allied Professions, we require a pass in the internally assessed modules with overall profile grades BBC.

For applicants studying SWAP Biological Sciences or SWAP Life Sciences, we require a pass in the internally assessed modules (including the 3 SCQF Level 5 Maths units) with overall profile grades BBC. In addition, Higher Biology is also required at grade C or above.

Access to HE Diploma

Applicants who are studying the QAA Access to Higher Education Diploma in a related subject will also be considered for entry to our Midwifery course.

Pass Access to HE Diploma in a related subject* with 45 credits overall, with a minimum of 39 credits at Merit and 6 credits at Distinction.

Biology and English must be achieved at Level 3 and Maths achieved at Level 2 within the diploma.

Related Subject* - Nursing / Midwifery / Nursing & Midwifery / Allied Health Professionals/ Health and Social Care/ Health / Health Care/ Human Sciences / Health and Science Professions / Applied Science / Biology & Psychology 

Deferred Applications

Please note that we cannot accept applications for deferred entry for this course.

Previous Nursing Students

Please note that students who have already studied a Nursing degree are unlikely to receive funding for a second Nursing degree.

Mature Students

Adequate and appropriate previous (and recent) study is essential. Please contact ugadmissions@napier.ac.uk if you are unsure whether or not you would be eligible to apply. Relevant work experience will be considered alongside recent study. It may be necessary for those with limited qualifications to undertake an Access course or other appropriate courses/studies in a Further Education setting.

Subjects Required

*Literary subjects include: English/English Literature, History, Modern Studies, Religious Moral & Philosophical Studies/Christian Theology, Psychology, Geography, Sociology, Health and Social Care and Law.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test. The English Language requirements for this programme are IELTS 7.0 (with no less than 7.0 in each component, excluding Writing which requires 6.5).

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English. Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2024/25 2025/26
Scotland £1,820 £1,820
England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £9,250 £9,250
Overseas and EU £16,680 £17,520
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland will be invoiced the tuition fees for 3 years of their 4 years of study.
Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other Tuition Fee matters please see Frequently Asked Questions about Fees Click this link for Information of Bursaries and Scholarships
If additional compulsory costs other than the tuition fees are applicable, these will be detailed in the course details.


Careers

Nursing students grouped around a bed in the university's clinical skills and simulation suite

What can you do with a Midwifery Degree?

By studying Midwifery at Edinburgh Napier University, you will be qualified to apply for roles within both a clinical and social care setting, as a midwife you will be the expert in supporting women during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. By having gained advanced communication, decision making and leadership skills during your course you will be able to support women compassionately and proactively during this time. You’ll be able to professionally apply the practical and theoretical knowledge you have learned through the most current research, having gained an understanding that midwifery is both an art and a science. This course will help you to develop your abilities not only to provide midwifery care but also emotional support to women and their families. If you’re a caring and helpful person by nature, passionate about women’s health, then this may be the right course for you.

What does a Midwife do?

As a midwife, you’ll most likely work in an NHS setting and occasionally a private healthcare sector. You will be a main primary care practitioner and expert in providing antenatal, intrapartum, neonatal and postnatal support and advice to women and their families. Midwives must recognise their role during pregnancy, birth and postnatal complications. Midwives support the use of interventions and technology when necessary to ensure an optimal outcome. Team and autonomous working skills will be required to deliver vital care in a fast-paced environment, with no day being the same.

 

Daily tasks and responsibilities in this role may include:

 

  • Advocate normality and midwifery led care as appropriate

  • Carrying out examinations and screenings before and after the birth, to monitor the growth of the fetus and the overall health of the mother and neonate.

  • Teaching skills, such as care of the newborn, infant nutrition and personal care to new mothers and parents.

  • Identifying high risk pregnancies and planning and implementing appropriate care around this.

  • Relationship building with expectant mothers, families and carers.

  • Providing information about nutrition and exercise for both the mother and the neonate.

  • Providing care and support during the labour and in the birth of a newborn, along with providing evidence-based care and supporting women’s choice.

  • Able to discuss future family planning and appropriate contraceptive methods with parents.

  • Keeping and updating important women and newborn’s documentation.

 

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