Midwifery (Blended Learning) BSc

Course overview

We are proud to offer one of the few blended learning midwifery degrees in the UK, in partnership with Health Education England (HEE).

This course will enable you to become a future-focused resilient midwife who is equipped with the competence and confidence to think critically and deliver high-quality, compassionate, and evidence-informed care. You’ll develop and become a role model for other professionals and the women, birthing people and families you’ll provide care for.

You’ll be taught how to work inclusively with all women, birthing people, their families and others involved in care.

Our blended learning approach means you can learn via both electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching. It provides an innovative and accessible way to begin your pathway to becoming the best midwife you can be.

NHS funding is available for midwifery students. Find out more here.

Course highlights

• Developed in partnership with The Leeds Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) and our current students, you’ll benefit from the real life experiences and perspectives of women and families.

• For some students able to meet specific criteria, there is an opportunity to have an observational placement abroad in year 3. This placement is designed to enable you to experience midwifery practice in a different setting, or in which you have a particular interest.

• You’ll have access to excellent clinical skills facilities, which replicate the hospital working environment with simulated patients.

• This course is underpinned by the NMC (2019) Future Midwife standards that recognise the vital role midwives play in leading and coordinating compassionate, evidence-based care.

• Our Midwifery degree consists of 50% academic work and 50% clinical practice. You’ll undertake your placements within Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and York District Hospital where you’ll rotate through all the clinical aspects of midwifery practice, in the community and on hospital wards.

• Blended learning will allow you to balance the course with other commitments you may have, such as caring responsibilities.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Accreditation detail: Students who successfully complete this programme will be able to register as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Course details

Our integrated curriculum means we’ll provide you with a holistic view of care that will allow you to recognise the complexity of maternity care provision.

You’ll start by considering what it means to be midwife and learn how to work in partnership with women, birthing people and families. You’ll discover how to be an educator and facilitator, supporting not only other students and team members, but empowering women, birthing people and their families towards optimal health and well-being.

You’ll also learn to recognise and understand inequalities in health and the effect this has on access to services. This will include vulnerable and marginalised populations and exploration of the relationship between mental and physical health and the impact of pre-existing conditions.

You’ll also learn how to provide care to those requiring medical, obstetric, neonatal, mental health, social care and other services.

By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to provide autonomous care and promote optimal health and wellbeing, as well as being able to work effectively within a team, supervise others and be a care leader.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Midwifery (Blended Learning) BSc in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Midwifery Basics (40 credits) – This module will guide you through the basics of midwifery, providing a foundation you can build on throughout the course. You’ll learn how to identify the key knowledge, skills and attitudes used in today’s midwifery care, and how to find useful sources of evidence to support what you do. You’ll also learn how to understand the various frameworks that shape your different responsibilities.

Foundations of Midwifery Practice (40 credits) – In this module you’ll begin to demonstrate midwifery’s key skills, knowledge and attitudes. You’ll learn how to work properly in a diverse team to provide evidence-based care for women, babies and families. Other key topics include infant feeding, providing universal care to women and families, and recognising the diverse experiences of pregnancy and early parenthood.

Optimising Care (40 credits) – At this stage of the course you’ll learn about the anatomy and physiology of labour and birth. You’ll explore how midwives help women and families make informed choices and produce the best health outcomes and birth experiences. There will also be the chance to discuss and debate the role a midwife plays, and you’ll be able to explore ideas like self-care and the demands of professional practice in greater depth.

Year 2 compulsory modules

Compassionate Care (40 credits) – Building on your Year 1 learning, you’ll explore the role of the midwife as a knowledgeable, respectful, compassionate carer – particularly when a woman experiences complications and needs extra care when pregnant. You’ll learn how to anticipate, recognise and respond to additional care needs, and deviations from the norm will also be covered at this time. Things that complicate care provision will be covered as well.

Global and Cultural Insights into Maternal Care (40 credits) ­– This module introduces you to your role within the global workforce. It explains how we need to work across borders to provide safe birthing environments and reduce maternal mortality ratios. You’ll learn about global organisations and frameworks that aim to help countries with maternal difficulties and improve women’s health during pregnancy. You’ll also develop your understanding of global maternal health and public health policy, including the disparities in different countries.

Using Evidence for Practice (40 credits) – In this module you’ll keep exploring the evidence that guides our clinical practice. You’ll be able to debate and discuss contemporary issues about how we integrate research into clinical settings. You’ll develop your abilities to judge the quality of research, which will be useful when you come to writer your dissertation later in the course.

Year 3 compulsory modules

Midwifery: Dissertation (40 credits) – In this module you’ll critically review literature to answer a research question, based on an area of midwifery practice. The module lets you put the research skills you’ve developed over the course into practice, and help you better understand how we generate data to inform and enhance practice, develop your ability to identify and use evidence, and judge whether it can inform medical practice.

Promoting Excellence in Midwifery Practice (40 credits) – Building upon your knowledge and skills in the previous year, you’ll learn how to best delivery care to women and babies with complications and additional care needs. You’ll learn about communication and collaboration and how to put these ideas into practice, especially in the event of complications and emergencies. You’ll also explore concepts like accountability, misconduct, leadership and the importance of debrief in clinical practice.

Preparation for Becoming a Midwife (40 credits) – The final module in the course will see you further honing your skills, developing your confidence and preparing for qualification and registration. You’ll look at how we delivery maternity services, the views of service users and wider critiques of public health. You’ll develop your abilities as leaders and managers and (under indirect supervision) work in partnership with both women and members of your team.

Learning and teaching

At the University of Leeds, you'll learn first-hand from service users, carers and practitioners, and our leading academics.

Our flexible blended learning approach will allow you to balance the course with other commitments you may have.

Teaching and learning resources are immersive and accessible for all students to ensure inclusivity. As part of a hybrid learning course, you’ll have access to a range of innovative technologies such as simulation and online platforms. This will enhance your education and enable you to engage in your learning, develop curiosity and use critical thinking to provide high quality maternity care.

Our midwifery course consists of 50% academic work and 50% clinical practice. You’ll undertake your placements within Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and York District Hospital. Find out more in the work placements section.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

We use a range of assessment methods, including essays, presentations, MCQs, exams and a final dissertation. Some of our assessments are developed in partnership with service users and carers, using their real-world experiences to develop case studies.

The assessment methods aim to consolidate your theoretical learning and enable you to embed principles into your practice. Assessments will enable you to meet the standards set out by the NMC and prepare you to be life-long learners.

In clinical practice, you’ll be assessed by registered professionals who are responsible for your learning and development whilst on placement. You'll be supported to demonstrate knowledge and application of midwifery concepts and techniques, and to develop abilities, skills, and competencies to provide person-centred care.

We'll help you to develop the skills to produce work that is both evaluative and creative and show you can conduct independent, in-depth enquiry within the discipline.

Throughout your course you’ll be able to draw on a wide variety of evidence-based material and be equipped to evaluate and critique received opinion.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB including Biology or Human Biology at grade B or above. General Studies and Critical Thinking not accepted.

GCSE: Science, Maths and English (English Language or English Literature) at minimum of grade B or 5 - plus 2 others at minimum of grade C or 4.

Other course specific tests:

• In your application, you will need to show evidence of study in the last five years.
• You are also required to provide an academic reference, which includes a statement which attests to your character and good standing, and suitability to enter the profession for which you have applied.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. All successful applicants will also need to pass disclosure and barring screening. The University has a policy statement on students with criminal records. For the vast majority of students who are resident in the UK the record will be checked via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The DBS check can only include background checks on your time in the UK. A criminal record check from other countries in addition to the UK DBS check may be required. Abroad this may be referred to as a "Certificate of Good Conduct" (CoGC), but the name varies.
• Occupational health assessment. Any offer of a place to study Nursing (Mental Health) BSc is conditional upon a satisfactory confidential occupational health assessment, which will include a health questionnaire, and if necessary further telephone consultation and/or an appointment with an occupational health clinician. Screening for serious communicable disease, (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and a review of immunisation status and needs, which includes COVID-19, will also be arranged before beginning your studies.

You can find out more about our application and interview process on our Applicant Journey page.

Alternative qualification

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds offers

A Level: BBC including a B in Biology or Human Biology.

Not including General Studies or Critical Thinking.

BTEC / CTEC: DDM in Extended Diploma Health and Social Care or Applied Science.

Five GCSEs at a Grade 4 / C, including English, Mathematics and two Sciences (either single sciences (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) or dual-award).

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 7.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

Fees

UK: £9,250 (per year)

International: £30,250 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24 and 2024/25
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will remain capped at £9,250 for 2023/24 and 2024/25. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24 and 2024/25
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are available on individual course pages.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

International fees

All applicants need to ensure cognisance of the financial implications before applying to the School of Healthcare and that there may be a requirement to provide a financial guarantee of funding for three years. The status of a student as being a home or overseas student is based upon residential status and not nationality.

Where a prospective student is an overseas citizen living within the UK they should contact the Admissions Team at the School of Healthcare regardless of their residential status, to verify their fees status.

The course length is 3 years. Students will have to pay for Occupational Health clearance and immunisations (cost will vary dependent on the individual needs of student and course requirements as well as any additional Occupational Health appointments and treatment needed during the programme. Other additional costs associated with the programme, which require consideration include visas and travel to and from placement. Applicants for all Undergraduate programmes at the School of Healthcare require a Criminal Record check, which will be undertaken as part of the visa application.

Additional cost information

Additional costs for all students

• You will be provided with 3 sets of uniforms. Additional uniforms, if required, can be purchased at a cost of £25 per uniform (subject to change).

• Students may wish to purchase recommended text books and digital devices/laptops.

• Students will need to purchase black shoes for placement.

• Students will be required to pay for printing of assessment work and photocopying of articles if needed.

• Students will have to pay for travel costs to and from placement however these can be claimed back. Find out more via the NHSBSA website.

• If a study abroad module is chosen, there will be additional costs for travel, visas and accommodation whilst abroad.

Additional costs for home students

Signing up to the DBS update service (currently £13 per year).

Additional costs for international students

After accepting a place on the programme international students will have to pay for occupational health clearance and immunisations (cost will vary dependent on individual needs of student), as well as a police check in their country of origin.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

NHS Learning Support Fund

The Learning Support Fund includes a non-repayable grant of £5,000 per year plus additional financial support for students with parental responsibility (for a child under the age of 15 years or under 17 years if they are registered with special educational needs). There is also support for practice placements travel expenses and students who find themselves in unforeseen financial hardship. Find out more and check your eligibility here.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

For a guide on how to apply for a place and what to expect, please read our applicant journey page.

The School of Healthcare does not normally participate in the UCAS Extra scheme for entry onto the Midwifery degree course. You must tell us in your UCAS application if you want to defer entry and if you have any prior criminal convictions.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration, and other information for International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

International admissions process

All applicants for midwifery programmes must meet the entry requirements, are required to be interviewed. Interviews may take place via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Blackboard Collaborate and will be arranged with the applicant for a specific date and time.

Following applicant shortlisting by the School of Healthcare Admissions Team, applicants will be invited to undertake an interview subject to relevant entry criteria attainment as identified below.

Information pertaining to the International English Language Testing System qualification “IELTS” is available above.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Selection

We shortlist applicants against agreed criteria, using the information you submit on your UCAS form only. You must meet the academic entry requirement for the programme. Your academic background and personal statement help us to assess your interest in the academic subject and are an important part of the process. The reference you provide on the UCAS form must also support your application, this should be an academic reference, which also includes a statement which attests to (your) character and good standing.

Interview

If your UCAS application meets our shortlisting criteria, you will be invited to undertake a virtual interview. This may take place via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Blackboard Collaborate.

Shortlisted applicants are normally invited for interview between November and April.

This is an opportunity for you to find out more about the course and meet our staff and students.

Admissions policy

School of Healthcare Undergraduate School Policy 2024

This course is taught by

School of Healthcare

Contact us

School of Healthcare Admissions Team

Email: admissions@healthcare.leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

Our midwifery programme is designed to prepare students to become a high calibre, sought after midwifery graduates.

On successful completion of the programme you’re eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Midwife. There are many opportunities for midwives – from rotational posts in hospitals or the community, to specialist practitioner and management roles.

Post-registration you might choose to study further, at Masters or PhD level.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad

For some students able to meet specific criteria, there is an opportunity to have an observational placement abroad in year 3. This placement is designed to enable you to experience midwifery practice in a different setting, or in which you have a particular interest.

Clinical placements

Our midwifery course consists of 50% academic work and 50% clinical practice. You’ll undertake your placements within Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and York District Hospital.

As part of your placements you will:

• rotate through all the clinical aspects of midwifery practice, in the community and on hospital wards – antenatal and postnatal care, transitional care and working on the delivery suite.
• have the opportunity to work in a large regional unit and a smaller district unit. You’ll also gain exposure to nursing settings during the course, to enable you to develop relevant and transferrable clinical skills.
• experience care across a variety of clinical settings and allow you to work in partnership with women, birthing people and their families to assess, plan, implement and evaluate individualised care.

Elective placements

You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a two-week elective placement in Year 3, which can be local, national, or international.

This placement is designed to enable you to experience midwifery practice in a different setting, or in which you have a particular interest.

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