Midwifery (Shortened) MSc

This Midwifery Masters (2-year shortened) course is for graduate adult nurses who are currently registered with the NMC and would like to gain registration as a midwife.

This 2-year course recognises the skills and knowledge you already have and has been developed to equip you with further knowledge, skills and values to deliver world-class, evidence-based care for women, babies and families.

Designed for graduate adult nurses, the course will provide you with the skills to become a midwife who can practise in a variety of settings and provide safe and effective care across the maternity continuum.

Our contemporary approach to teaching and learning includes a wide variety of online, classroom and simulation-based activities as well as clinical placements in NHS Trust maternity units.

At the end of the midwife course, you will be awarded a Masters degree in Midwifery and be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Midwife.

This course has been developed against the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (2019). As a mark of our professional excellence, UWL holds the prestigious Gold Award accreditation by UNICEF’s Baby Friendly Initiative.

What you'll study

The duration of the midwifery course is two years and has been developed with input from students, service users and our NHS partners to provide you with the academic and professional qualifications you need to be eligible to register with the NMC as a midwife.

There is a strong emphasis on the physiological process of childbirth, and you will gain a sound understanding of the role of the midwife and the foundations of midwifery care. As you progress through the course, you will develop and apply your knowledge to a variety of contexts.

You will learn:

• to become a kind, caring and compassionate midwife who can take the lead in providing women with the best care possible in a safe, supportive environment\
• how to recognise and manage a range of complex and emergency situations\
• how to engage with current research and apply evidence to your practice\
• to work as a professional, both on your own and as part of an interdisciplinary team.

You will be encouraged to work independently and with peers and colleagues to develop teamwork, negotiation, communication and organisational skills.

You will spend an equal amount of time in blocks of theory and clinical practice and study the majority of the course with students in Years 2 and 3 of the BMidwifery and MMidwifery 3-year programmes, with a transition module designed to bridge the gap between your nursing background and your midwifery future.

The theoretical element of the course comprises an exciting range of teaching and learning approaches including:

• face-to-face classroom activities\
• group tutorials\
• one-to-one learning opportunities\
• online activities and e-learning\
• practical skills\
• simulation-based learning\
• guided independent study

UWLFlex, our blended framework, has been developed to provide you with a personalised and supported learning experience.

You will also keep an online portfolio to record and track your progress throughout the course. Student support is very important to us, and we will ensure the right conditions are in place to meet your learning needs, including access to high-quality learning materials and resources.

The NMC requires you to complete a minimum of 1500 hours of practice experience over 2 years to be eligible to register as a midwife. At UWL, students have 22 planned practice placement weeks each year to meet this requirement. In order for the qualification to be recognised in EU member states it must be followed by a year of professional midwifery practice (NMC, 2019).

You will be employed by one of our partner NHS Trusts for the duration of the course and gain experience across a variety of areas to meet the course and NMC requirements and proficiencies.