Midwifery BSc (Hons)

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of structured lecturers, seminars, case studies, directed and independent study, group work including scenario, problem and enquiry based learning, group and individual tutorials, with the additional support of e-learning strategies using the virtual learning environment.  There will be input from other agencies, service users and professionals as appropriate.

A particular feature of the programme is the opportunities for clinical skill and simulated learning including role play, ‘hands-on’ practical skills sessions using a range of simulation manikins. Formative feedback on performance is provided to facilitate safe and effective support for essential skills development, in the simulation suites, replicating hospital, home and community practice learning environments

Practice learning experiences in a range of hospital and community settings, including flexible placements using a complementary placement week to maximise the learning opportunities offered by diverse and non-traditional settings. Students will complete 2300 hours of clinical experiences over the three years.

Students will work a 37 hour week, experiencing the range of hours expected of Registered Midwives and this will include evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Contact time

In a typical week, a student will have around 12 - 18 contact hours of teaching during theory weeks. The specific contact hours will depend on the year of study because in the final year there is less contact time in order to in order to enable more independent and self-directed study. This allows the completion of a dissertation, a sustained piece of individual work, which critically and ethically engages with professional midwifery practice.

Whilst in placement, students will be expected to attend placement for 37 hours per week, experiencing the full range of hours expected of Registered Midwives. All practice learning hours must be formally recorded and signed for.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 25 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including The Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources. 

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics, professional practitioners with clinical experience, demonstrators and technical officers. Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade.  

Assessment of practice is facilitated by a continuous practice document called The Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement (MORA). This provides opportunities for the formative and summative assessment of practice learning.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary. All modules are mandatory and a typical formal summative assessment activity include written assignments (essays/reports), exams (seen and unseen), artefact design and group presentations, including poster presentations.

Practice learning assessment involves the continuous assessment process of midwifery knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and values expected, progressing from Participation (Year 1), Contribution (Year 2) and Proficiency in Midwifery Practice (Year 3).

Formative and summative assessment of practice is recorded in the National MORA for each year of the programme. Numeracy and medicines management is assessed developmentally across the programme, culminating in providing evidence of achieving 100% in a calculation of medicines test prior to qualifying. 

A typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:  

Year 1

• Group presentation 
• Report  
• Reflective account  
• Exams  
• Essay 
• Assessment of practice of NMC (2019) proficiencies using Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement (MORA) with practice grading 
• Evidence of Medicines Management at 80% 

Year 2

• Report  
• Reflective account  
• Group poster presentation  
• Exam  
• Essay OR Parental teaching resource Critique 
• Assessment of practice of NMC (2019) proficiencies using Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement (MORA) with practice grading 
• Evidence of Medicines Management at 90% 

Year 3

• Individual presentation 
• Case presentation 
• Supporting paper  
• Dissertation  
• Reflexive account  
• Assessment of practice of NMC proficiencies using Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement (MORA) with practice grading 
• Evidence of medicines Management at 100% 

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.  

Timetables

Module timetables are normally available two weeks prior to commencement of the module. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

A year-long course planner identifying holiday weeks, theory and practice weeks is available prior to the start of course. 

Details regarding placements are usually provided 4 weeks before the start date of the placement and students are expected to contact their placement for details of the shifts they are required to complete.

While on placement, students are required to work 37 hours a week and this can involve early morning shifts, long days, evening and night shifts, as well as the possibility of working weekends and bank holidays.  This replicates the working pattern of a Registered Midwife.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.