OVERVIEW

Midwives provide essential care during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period to both mothers and their babies. You’ll gain sound knowledge of what's normal and healthy in childbearing women and recognise and manage any problems that may arise. You’ll learn how to perform examinations on the mothers-to-be as well as their infants after birth. Alongside studying the theory of midwifery, half of your time will be spent in various clinical settings partnering with experienced midwives.

Why choose this course?

We have an excellent reputation and will help you to develop the qualities needed that define a University of Hertfordshire graduate midwife. With the BSc (Hons) Midwifery course you gain sound midwifery knowledge of normality, enabling you to become competent in recognising and managing deviations from this normality.

You will benefit from the inclusion of the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) competency which provides you with advanced knowledge to support the care provided. Our commitment to achieving UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Accreditation enables learning that supports best practice in relation to infant feeding.

In addition to university study skills support, lecturers also provide close guidance to students both in the university and in practice. The University is ranked top 25% for academic support and assessment & feedback for nursing and midwifery (National Student Survey, 2022).

What you'll study

You will spend 50% of your time on campus were you’ll build your theoretical knowledge in lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratories.

We’ll help you strengthen your ability for self-directed study and further your interpersonal skills. You’ll also develop your writing, presentations and computer literacy skills through case studies, individual and group projects and other student-centred activities.

In your first year, we’ll start you right from the beginning. You’ll explore a woman’s journey into motherhood. You’ll understand the well-being of the childbearing woman from antenatal to the postnatal period. You’ll see the importance of working as part of one multi-professional group to help a new parent make informed pregnancy and birthing choices.

In your second year, you will get to explore social and cultural aspects to consider in midwifery in more detail. You will also look at disorders of body systems, medical conditions caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding conditions and challenges. At the end of the second year, you will also have the opportunity to undertake an elective placement. If you choose this option, you will get to spend three weeks in a different midwifery setting either in the UK or abroad.

In your final year, you’ll find that you have grown to love certain topics that you just need to learn more about. For example, this could be the parent-baby attachment or how culture or religion affects the neonatal care you give to new mothers. It’s up to you to decide what you want to focus your final literature review on.

What if I need support?

You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course and you will also have a student buddy to help you when needed. Additionally, all our sites have practice education facilitators with who we work closely, they will support you in practice in addition to lecturers.

You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions and online tutorials. Both our LRCs run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.

Where you'll study

You’ll share College Lane campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.