BSc(Hons) Midwifery (Blended Learning)
This course is open for applications
Page last updated 6 June 2023
Introduction
Gain a midwifery degree through flexible study that suits your work life balance. Our employer links, practical focus and the clinical experience offered means that 95% of our graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study midwifery?
Midwives are autonomous practitioners who provide care and support to service-users during pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. Working as part of a multidisciplinary professional team, midwives practise in birth units, communities and hospitals, supporting service-users to have a positive childbirth experience. This privileged role comes with great responsibility and you'll ultimately be rewarded by a career where you can make a difference.
To support students in their training there are a range of financial options available, including scholarship opportunities or NHS training grants. Further information is also available on the NHS Business Services website.
This course also offers the unique opportunity to apply for a scholarship.
Why study midwifery (blended learning) at UWE Bristol?
As a leading provider of midwifery education in the south west, we've created a blended learning BSc(Hons) Midwifery course aimed at needing more flexible ways to study and with 80% of the theory for the course delivered online, you can do just that. Plus you'll get plenty of practice in the real world too, and work the full range of shift patterns while on placement.
Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and closely following our standard BSc(Hons) Midwifery course, you'll develop all the skills and experience you need to register with the NMC as a midwife when you graduate.
We are pleased to confirm that our New students webpages are now available for students starting this course in September 2022. Here you can find links to useful information about registering, course start dates, arriving on campus what to expect before and when you arrive.
We automatically send a message via your Welcome website plus an email to notify you once your Preparing to Study information is available. It is important that you regularly check your Welcome website for new messages.
Where can it take me?
Qualified midwives are in great demand across the UK, and you can expect your skills to be sought after in both hospital and community-based roles. Plus, if you wish to progress your career to the next level, there are many options including working as a specialist or consultant midwifery practitioner, clinical midwifery manager, lecturer or researcher in midwifery.
Inspirational midwives
Structure
Content
Year one
You will study:
- The Context of Midwifery Practice 1
- The Context of Midwifery Practice 2
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 1
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 2
- The Midwife as a Skilled Practioner 1.
Year two
You will study:
- The Context of Midwifery Practice 3
- The Context of Midwifery Practice 4
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 3
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 4
- The Midwife as a Skilled Practitioner 2.
Final year
You will study:
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 5
- Holistic Midwifery Practice 6
- Promoting Excellence for Midwifery Practice
- The Midwife as a Skilled Practitioner 3.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.
Learning and Teaching
On this blended learning midwifery degree, you'll study 80% of the theory online and come onto campus for the remaining 20% of it (approximately), and you'll learn the practical skills on placements.
We use a mix of online lectures, workshops, group work, case studies, projects and IT-based activities, tutorials, skills sessions and simulation exercises, to develop your skills and get you ready for practice.
You'll explore all aspects of midwifery care in the contexts of both normality and the complexities of pregnancy and childbirth and you'll develop your expertise in communication and managing individualised care.
You'll also learn about inter-professional working, and the professional practice of midwifery, drawing evidence from your placements and project work. The experience will shape you into an independent, reflective learner.
Your placements will link the theory you've learned with practice, and expose you to clinical scenarios, problem solving, judgement and decision making, to prepare you for your role as a practising midwife.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Get involved
Join our Midwifery Society to take part in extra-curricular opportunities and support networks. Run by student midwives, the society organises topical external speakers, social events and activities where you can meet peers, collaborate and share experiences. Watch the UWE Bristol Midwifery Society film to learn more.
Study time
This is a full-time course where you can expect to spend the equivalent of three days per week studying online plus a further two days per week on self-directed study. When on placement, you'll work full-time hours on the standard shift pattern just like a midwife would work, which will include days and nights.
Students will be required to travel to campus for some face to face teaching days, such as the induction week, skills days and some assessments. This may incur transport and accommodation costs.
Assessment
We'll assess the theoretical and clinical parts of the course using a mixture of unseen exams, reflective portfolios, structured clinical exams, clinical assessments and a literature-based extended project. Most of your assessments will be taken online, but not all, and skills will be assessed on placements.
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
Features
Professional accreditation
This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). You can register as a midwife with them when you graduate.
Placements
UWE Bristol's geographical area for placement provision covers the whole of the South, South West and West of England. Placements across this region help support and provide a wealth of clinical experience to many areas within the NHS healthcare service and the Private Voluntary and Independent sector. These placements are vital to meet the professional regulatory body standards in practice for our affiliated health and social care courses.
To access this variety of opportunities within the health and social care courses, there's an expectation that all students at times will have to travel across large areas. In some cases this can be more than 50 miles away, and may be outside of normal working hours due to the nature of shift work on some courses.
When considering your application to these courses, you must ensure you have means to travel to your placement location at unsociable hours, and/or funds available to secure short-term accommodation options to participate in your placement, if required.
With at least 71 weeks of work-based placements, you'll spend 50% of the course applying your knowledge and building professional skills in midwifery practice environments.
We have excellent links with NHS Trusts and other health and care organisations across the South West to provide you with excellent placement opportunities.
You'll work in midwifery-led birth units, hospital and community settings, caring for service-users from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and learning to manage a midwifery caseload.
Your broad range of practice experiences, working with qualified midwives in hospital and community settings, will give you all the experience you need to get you ready for your career as a midwife. You'll also be supported by an academic and practice assessor personal mentor who will advise, counsel and give you feedback on your progress during your placements.
Study facilities
You'll be able to access the Glenside Campus library both online and in person, which is one of the best healthcare libraries in the South West, with a huge selection of books, journals, audio-visual materials and specialist health and social care software to support your studies.
To help you get settled into university-level education, we've developed Starting Block, a series of online activities for all courses so you can get to know your teaching team and your course mates. You'll also be able to take an online digital learning induction course module, which will help set you up for online study.
Discover more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Get a feel for the Nursing and Midwifery facilities we have on offer here from wherever you are.
Start your dream career at UWE Bristol
Life
Accommodation
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
Midwives are in high demand across the UK and graduates enter careers in a wide range of roles for the NHS and independent sector employers. We have close links with our NHS partners, and they are the main employers of midwifery graduates.
Once qualified, you can choose to progress into specialist areas, such as working with service-users who misuse drugs or alcohol. You could also become a specialist midwifery practitioner in areas such as infant feeding, management, lecturing or research.
Graduate midwives continue their professional development throughout their career, and we offer many post-qualifying courses to support your learning.
Get inspired
Our award-winning Careers Service can help you to develop your employability through careers coaching and help you to find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities. They can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our graduate destinations page to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
See also:
Fees
Additional Costs
Full Time
Supplementary fee information
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Entry
Typical offers
- Tariff points: 128
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 or above in English Language or Literature, Mathematics and Science, or equivalent. We do not accept Level 2 Key Skills, Functional Skills or Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy as alternatives to GCSEs.
- A-level subjects: Grade B or above in a Science, Health or Social Science subject.
- Relevant subjects: Subjects that meet the Science/Social Science requirement for this course: Biology, Applied Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Applied Science, Science (Biology route), Science (Chemistry route), Science (Physics route), Sociology.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: You'll need a minimum of five units in a Science, Health or Social Science Subject. You may be asked to do more based on the size of your units. Please list the units you are studying in your application. For further advice on acceptable units, please email us.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: 15 Level 3 credits at Distinction in a Science, Health or Social Science subject.
- Baccalaureate IB: A minimum Grade 6 in a Higher Level Science, Health or Social Science subject.
- Irish Highers: H1 in a Science, Health or Social Science subject.
- T Levels: You must be studying Science, Healthcare Science or Health You will also be considered if you have a Level 3 Senior Health Care Support Worker Apprenticeship Diploma if you are employed as a Midwifery Support Worker.
Entry requirements
Please note that applicants for the BSc(Hons) Midwifery and BSc(Hons) Midwifery (Blended Learning), if successful, can only be made an offer for one course.
You will also be considered if you have a Level 3 Senior Health Care Support Worker Apprenticeship Diploma if you are employed as a Midwifery Support Worker.
We require evidence of recent assessed academic study within the last three years.
If you don't meet the entry requirements of this course, you may be eligible for the Health Professions Foundation Year.
We won't be able to accept your application for this course if you require the Student Route visa.
Additional requirements
All applicants are required to complete:
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check*
- Health Checks*
*All information will be treated in confidence and only taken into account when absolutely necessary.
About your Health Checks
Offers of places are subject to Occupational Health Clearance and students are expected to disclose pre-existing and historical health conditions. You must be in good health and up-to-date with all routine immunisations that are required for working in health and social care settings. If you are offered a place on this course, you will be required to complete a questionnaire and must be prepared to undergo a medical examination. You will also be required to confirm your status in respect of a number of infectious diseases (tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, varicella, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV antibodies) and be prepared to have all required vaccinations. Please note that the list of required vaccinations may change, in response to advice from the Department of Health. If your vaccinations are not up-to-date, this will affect your ability to continue on your course. If you have any concerns with regards to vaccinations please raise this at the point of application.
Selection process
Applicants will be required to attend an interview. For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.
We won't be able to accept your application for this course if you require the Student Route visa.
How to apply
Watch our video for top tips on writing a healthcare personal statement and download our health and social care personal statement guide.
Read more about undergraduate applications.
UCAS Application Deadline
The initial deadline for UCAS applications is the last Wednesday in January each year. It is likely we will still consider applications submitted after this date but it may not always be possible for our most selective courses.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.uk
International/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333
International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644