BSc (Hons) - Midwifery

How you will learn

You will spend 50% of your programme in clinical practice being supervised and assessed by clinical staff. placement experience provides opportunities for you to experience pregnancy and childbearing over the full continuum and includes shorter spoke placements offering a variety of experience in areas such as special care baby units, theatres and strengthening family's teams.

Although your course will be taught in Carlisle for 50% of your course. The other 50% will be spent on placement, we have a range of placement circuits either within a 90-minute drive of Carlisle or within a 90-minute drive of Lancaster. This has in the past has included areas such as Preston, Chorley, Blackpool and Lancaster. For more information about our placement options available, get in contact with us or find out more at an open day.

Elective placement weeks are built into each year of the programme where some students take the opportunity to experience midwifery practise elsewhere in the country and/or abroad.

The theory is delivered by expert teaching staff and is based on the latest evidence and research, using modern teaching methods and technology. your learning activities will include conferences, visiting speakers, and socialising with other student midwives.

How you will be assessed

A range of assessment methods has been selected to enhance your learning and to help you to demonstrate how you have achieved all the module and programme learning outcomes and aims.

Formative and summative assessments are utilised to enable you to progress and build knowledge for practice coherently and logistically. Formative assessments are designed so that feedback on your performance is provided before the final, summative assessment – though this does not contribute to the final module mark or the credit awarded.

Summative assessment in modules utilises authentic assessment methods focusing on you using and applying knowledge and skills in real-life settings. Authentic assessment will help you to contextualise your learning and to see how real-life conditions or situations, in all their unpredictability, ambiguity and complexity, affects your theoretical knowledge.

You have the opportunity across the programme to reflect on your progression and development. These personal reflections contribute to and are evidenced in assessments through a variety of means.

Types and methods of assessment will include professional discussions, written assignments, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE’s), presentations, portfolio and dissertation. Authentic assessment methods are utilised to provide effective feedback and feedforward recommendations to enable your success.

NMC Standards for Proficiency in Clinical Practice

Our learning and teaching strategies are based on the philosophy that midwives occupy a privileged position within society.

There is a longitudinal practice module each year taking place over multiple placements per year. All placements in years 1 and 2 are summative and must be passed to progress on to the final year. All placements must be passed to enable registration with the NMC.

You can attempt to recoup failed placements, however, a second failure will result in disqualification for the programme. Your acquisitions of skills and achievements in NMC proficiencies in clinical practice will determine your registration as a NMC certified nurse. Professionalism, attitude, values, and character will also determine success.

NMC Standards for Proficiency in Clinical Practice

The NMC proficiencies will include one practice module per year which, will be summatively assessed and graded.

A failed placement will be allowed one further attempt to recoup the fail. Failure of a second attempt at practice assessment will normally mean discontinuation from the programme. Qualified Practice Assessors assess your acquisition of skills and achievement of the NMC proficiencies in clinical practice. Practice Assessors alongside Academic Assessors will confirm you are proficient to progress to NMC registration. Practice Supervisors and Assessors involve service users opinions when assessing you.

Your professionalism, attitude, good health and character are vital aspects of this assessment. Most theoretical work is linked to practice in some way and assessors will explore your underpinning knowledge, and how your personal and professional characteristics impact performance.

Tuition Fees

2025 - 2026

• £9,535 - UK

 2024-2025:

• £9,250 - UK
• £16,400 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Funding

You may also be eligible for additional funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

If you're eligible, you can get access to:

• A Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year
• Parental Support of £2,000, if you have at least one dependent child under 15 years, or under 17 years if registered with special educational needs
• Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses
• Exceptional Support Fund (Students experiencing financial hardship)

For more information on the Learning Support Fund please visit the Learning Support Fund Page.

For further funding information, please visit our undergraduate funding page.

*This page was last updated October 2021

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs. For example all students will need to purchase stationery and may wish to purchase some text books. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc. although such features are usually options within the course.

Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year.

Books and Journals

You may need to spend approximately £200-300 a year on textbooks and Journals, although this cost can be reduced considerably by sourcing second-hand copies or in our online library. Macdonald, S., Johnson, G. & Mayes, M. (2017) Mayes’ Midwifery. Fifteenth edition Elsevier, Marshall, J.E., Marshall, J.E., Raynor, M.D. & Fraser, D.M. (2014) Myles textbook for midwives /. 16th ed. Saunders Mander, R., Fleming, V. & Curtis, P. (2014) Becoming a midwife 2nd ed. Routledge. Chenery-Morris, S. & McLean, M. (2013) Normal midwifery practice/. SAGE/Learning Matters. Dimond, B. (2013) Legal aspects of midwifery, by Bridgit Dimond. 4th edition. Johnson, R. & Taylor, W. (2016) Skills for midwifery practice /. Fourth edition. Jowitt, M. (2014) Dynamic positions in birth: a fresh look at how women’s bodies work in labour. Mander, R. & Murphy-Lawless, J. (2013) The politics of maternity. Peate, I., Peate, I. & Hamilton, C. (2014) The student’s guide to becoming a midwife /. 2nd ed

Stationery

Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.

Clothing and Equipment

You should budget approximately £200 - £300 for specialist clothing and equipment. For university sessions in the clinical skills laboratories, you are required to wear a full uniform. Uniform tunics and trousers are not an additional cost as they are provided by the University. However, you will require the following: Plain black socks, Plain black cardigans, Plain, black, flat shoes, A fob watch for clinical practice.

Field Trips

You may have the opportunity to go on a national or international placement outside of our partner NHS Trusts, either as part of your studies or in addition. The cost for the trips vary enormously and range from £500 upwards depending on where you choose to stay and travel to (these are not organised through the university, but are organised by you, although risk assessments are undertaken through the university). These trips are optional. You may wish to attend conferences (optional not part of the course) these costs vary and depend on whether you go to a one day or a several day events, the costs will vary depending on where the venues are and the cost of accommodation you choose. With conference fees, travel and accommodation you will need to budget from anywhere between £250 and £750 per conference. Many conferences are free for students to attend.