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Why choose the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Education
50% of your course time is spent in practice with our healthcare partners, building your skills and experience.
Local practice placements with healthcare providers in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Our healthcare courses (‘Allied to Medicine’) rank 11th overall in their subject field in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024; they rank 2nd for engagement, with top 10 rankings for learning community, assessment and organisation.
About the course
This two-year Master’s is for registered adult nurses wishing to become a midwife and will prepare you to fully care for women/birthing people throughout pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period. Your time on the course is split equally between practice and University, giving you the opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge in the clinical environment. Theoretical knowledge is developed through simulation and scenario-based learning as well as lectures, seminars and group work.
By taking this course, you may be eligible for NHS funding of at least £5,000. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF)
Course accreditation
All our Nursing and Midwifery courses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). On successful completion of your course, you can register with the NMC as an adult nurse.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Access to the professional medical/health facilities and equipment at placement hospitals and community health settings
- Simulation wards with a range of medical-grade training mannequins to tackle real-life scenarios in a safe and supported environment
- New, fully immersive simulation floor in our modern STEM building, taking you from mock home to hospital, for hands-on experience of a range of scenarios
Industry links
Our healthcare courses have been developed in collaboration with local healthcare providers and health authorities.
Your student experience
Learn the complete role of the midwife as the expert in pregnancy and birth as well as caring for women/birthing people requiring additional care.
Explore the wider role of the midwife within primary- and secondary-care settings, including public health, sexual health and women’s/birthing people’s health promotion.
Your University studies combine lectures, seminars and group work with simulations and scenario-based learning.
On clinical placements, benefit from the support of a practice supervisor.
Learn from research-active academics who keep up to date with current practice through regular link-lecturer visits to our clinical placements alongside close links with practice.
Develop your knowledge and skills through visiting lecturers who are clinical specialists, providing you with the latest research and practice in their field.
Gain experience on non-maternity wards to learn how pregnancy affects - and is affected by - a variety of medical conditions including mental health, surgery, neonatal and intensive care.
As the course proceeds, become increasingly independent in your study skills and practice, able to provide universal care for women/birthing people in pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period with minimal direction.
By the time you graduate, you will have conducted at least 40 supervised births under the supervision of a qualified midwife mentor.
Course Leader - Claire Bunyan
I joined the University of Bedfordshire in November 2020 as a midwifery lecturer. My main aim when teaching is to enable students to understand the link between their theoretical knowledge and practice, encouraging them to be the 'best they can be'.
What will you study?
Studying our Midwifery MSc course will equip you with the specialist knowledge and skills to care for women/birthing people through pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period. In core areas of study, you will build an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of human development from conception to birth and onward into early childhood in our Universal Care and Human Development unit. On a biological level, you will explore how genes influence growth, development and the functioning of the human body and reproductive system. This will be particularly useful to understand how healthcare professionals screen for genetic disorders to ensure the best start in life for newborn babies.
You will also learn to build relationships with the birthing person and their families while respecting diverse cultural beliefs. To further develop your practice, Public Health and The Accountable Midwife will enable you to recognise and promote uncomplicated pregnancy while allowing you to explore midwifery practice in the public health arena. In Enhancing Quality and Safety in Midwifery, you will also learn to critically analyse research evidence to make informed decisions in providing care while drawing from areas such as epidemiology, public health strategies and safeguarding. In practical areas of study, Midwifery Care in Practice will introduce you to antenatal, labour and postnatal care as you develop your professional skills in an approved maternity placement.
Similarly, Proficiency in Midwifery Care will develop these skills further by allowing you to engage with practice assessments to demonstrate your ability to integrate knowledge and skills in midwifery. The Individualised and Additional Care unit will equip you to act, manage and escalate care in additional and emergency situations within maternity care by learning to anticipate situations that require urgent action and immediate response, and subsequently deliver first-line management through collaborating with the multidisciplinary team. To add to this, you will be encouraged to act as an advocate for women, birthing people, their families and newborn infants.
As a core part of your practice, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to examine newborn babies while also considering the needs of the woman or birthing person and their families in our Examination of the Newborn unit. Furthermore, Developing the Future Midwife will support you in developing your professional practice as a colleague and as a leader. You will recognise your strengths and limitations and learn to effectively communicate with colleagues and within teams. Finally, you will complete a Midwifery Project where you will be able to engage in a critical study into a chosen topic while using this opportunity to pursue an area of interest in the direction of your future practice.
How will you be assessed?
The assessment strategy for this course is closely aligned to the teaching and learning strategy which centres around safe midwifery practice. The choice of assessments is determined by their relevance to midwifery care. You will be assessed across a range of practice settings and learning environments throughout the course.
To enhance your understanding and experiences of assessment practices you will encounter a wide range of formative and summative assessment methods including those that enable you to undertake practice-focused tasks that have the potential to influence care delivery. Many of the assessment tasks are designed so you can tailor them to your professional interests, experience and development needs. They are also designed so you can rehearse ways of thinking and acting that are professionally relevant. Examples include written assignments ranging from case studies and academic essays as well as assessed practice within your placements.
You will be assessed in practice using a nationally recognised practice assessment document (the MORA - Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement) which outlines the skills and competencies required as a registered midwife. These assessments are recorded and confirmed by a practice assessor alongside your own self-reflections on your progress. Service users and carers also contribute to your assessments. Self-assessment and reflection are expected at each point of assessment - for both theory and practice assessments. Within the MORA, learners are expected to obtain service-user feedback using the standardised feedback form supported by their practice supervisor, facilitating personal reflection during interim reviews and at the holistic assessment. To be eligible for your award of MSc Midwifery and to register with the NMC as a midwife, you must complete and provide documentary evidence of a minimum of 3,600 hours (1,800 hours in practice and 1,800 theory hours).
Careers
On completion of this course, you can go on to work as a qualified and registered midwife within the NHS or as an independent midwife. It also gives you the potential to progress into leadership positions and specialist roles in clinical settings or follow a career in management, research and teaching.
Entry Requirements
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 Maths
- GCSE grade 4/Functional Skills Level 2 English
- Safeguarding checks, including an Enhanced DBS, and Occupational Health check are required
Fees for this course
UK
The fee for this MSc for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £18,500.
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
Scholarship Available
The University of Bedfordshire is proud of its alumni and is delighted to offer a tuition fee discount for those who choose to continue or return to the University for on campus Postgraduate level studies.
We offer a 20% discount on full and part-time Masters courses to those who were successful in completing an Honours Degree with the University of Bedfordshire, DMU’s Bedford campus or the University of Luton.
International
The international fee for this MSc for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £33,800
For more information, please see international fees, or contact internationalnursing@beds.ac.uk
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
