Course overview

The role of the modern midwife involves a great deal more than just assisting at birth. Today's midwife works in partnership with a range of health care professionals to create an environment of holistic woman-centred care throughout the childbirth continuum.

The main aims of our course are to:

• develop safe, competent midwives, capable of working both as valuable team members and as team leaders
• develop dynamic and flexible healthcare practitioners, able to respond innovatively to evolving practices
• support the development of the skills and confidence to make a significant contribution to the health of women, babies and families.

Our degree adopts an enquiry-based approach to learning that encourages you to apply the lessons learned in the classroom to real-world situations, under supervision. It is designed to facilitate the development of theoretical knowledge and also critical thinking and problem-solving skills, skills which are essential to practicing midwives.

When you graduate you will be able to:

• recognise and respond to factors contributing to the physical, emotional and social well-being of the mother and baby
• systematically assess, plan, implement and evaluate care to best meet the various needs of mother, baby and family
• function effectively as part of a multidisciplinary professional team.

Midwifery is a fast-changing area of healthcare and our course will equip you with the skills and abilities to practice not only as a competent midwife, but also to continue to develop and keep pace in an evolving environment.

Additional course information

Competency in practice is essential within midwifery and therefore at least 50% of the course hours will be undertaken in the practice setting. Anglia Ruskin works in partnership with eight NHS Health Care Trusts across Cambridge and Essex and you will be linked to one of these Trusts to undertake your practice placement throughout the duration of the course.

Module guide

Hours of study

Our midwifery course is 50% study-based and 50% practice-based. You will therefore spend equal amounts of time on-campus and out on practice placement. Whilst on-campus you will be expected to attend classroom lecturers for six hours per day, Mondays to Fridays. Whilst out on placement, you will need to fit in with the shift system in operation in that area. This will include early, late, night and weekend shifts as well as bank holidays which could include the Easter weekend.

You have seven weeks holiday per year and these will include 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year, 2 weeks in the Spring and 3 weeks during the Summer. Holiday periods are allocated to each cohort and are not negotiable.

Placement sites

Placement sites in Essex:

• Basildon
• Chelmsford
• Colchester
• Harlow
• Southend

Placement sites in Cambridgeshire:

• Addenbrookes
• Hinchingbrook
• Peterborough

Applicants are asked for a preference but must accept that they may be placed anywhere in either the Essex (if you apply for the Chelmsford campus) or Cambridgeshire (if you apply for the Cambridge campus).

Assessment

A range of assessments are utilised during the course including essays, examinations, observed practice assessments, portfolio of clinical practice, and presentations.

Facilities

Skills laboratory facilities are provided both at Fulbourn and Chelmsford and are used to simulate practice skills training.

Special features

Please note that all students studying in Cambridgeshire will undertake their theory component at Fulbourn but clinical practice can take place at either Cambridge, Huntingdon or Peterborough. Students studying in Essex will undertake their theory in Chelmsford and their clinical practice in either Southend, Basildon, Harlow, Chelmsford or Colchester.

Funding

The BSc (Hons) Midwifery programme is funded by the NHS. Students do not have to pay fees and receive a means-tested bursary (this will depend on the income your family receives). Further details and a quick calculator are available on the NHS Student Grants Unit website www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk

Links with industry and professional recognition

This course meets the Nursing & Midwifery Council Standards for Pre-Registration Midwifery Education 2009.

Associated careers

The majority of newly qualified midwives choose to consolidate their practice in a local NHS Trust working as a midwife across the spectrum of care.

UCAS Tariff points:	280
Additional Requirements:	Excluded subject(s): GCE A-level General Studies Non-Academic Conditions: CRB Checks required, Interviews, Occupational Health clearance required GCSE(s) Required: 5 GCSEs A-C must include English, Maths and Science. IELTS 7.

Entry requirements listed are for September 2013 entry. Entry requirements for other intakes may differ.

Please note

• All tariff points must come from A levels. Points from AS levels cannot be counted towards the total tariff points required for entry to this course
• For the September 2014 intake the UCAS points for entry will increase to 300. Please see the bottom of this page for further information

Other acceptable qualifications

• BTEC National Diploma and 14-19 Diploma in a Health & Social Care or Science related subject with 280 UCAS points
• Access to Higher Education Diploma (science or health based preferred) available from colleges of further education. Please ensure that Level 2 in Numeracy, Literacy and Science are included if you do not have GCSE Maths, English and Science at grade C or above. This will cover all the entry requirements, provided the full course is successfully passed and at least 15 Level 3 credits at merit and 15 Level 3 distinction credits are achieved
• NVQ Level 3 in Care will not be accepted on its own and will require an additional 200 UCAS points
• Advanced GNVQ in a health and social care or science related subject with Distinction Grade
• OU Credits will also be accepted in lieu of A Levels (120 credits would be expected in health or science subjects)
• National Literacy and numeracy tests at Level 2 or 3 will be accepted in lieu of GCSE Maths and English

We are unable to accept qualifications in aromatherapy, massage and reflexology. We are also unable to accept UCAS tariff points from General Studies A Level.

From the above information we will calculate requirements for Scottish/Irish Highers, International, European and Welsh Baccalaureate equivalents so that they are all equitable. We will also accept tariff points from other qualifications on the UCAS tariff such as the Cambridge Pre-U (subject requirements will be assumed to be the same as for A Level).

Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.

Expectations

We would expect all our applicants to have thoroughly researched the role of a professional midwife and to have gained some experience in a care setting. Due to the highly competitive nature of the application processes you will need to be very clear as to why you want to become a midwife, the skills involved and what you can bring to the profession.

Applying

All applications must go via UCAS. Due to the fact that the course is always highly over subscribed we only accept applications between September and 15 January for the following intake year. Late applications will not be considered.

International applicants

This course is not available to international applicants because of restrictions in the availability of placements in the NHS (UK National Health Service).

September 2014 Intake

• All applicants will be required to have English, Maths and Science GCSEs at A*-C. BTEC First Diploma in Science passed at Merit or Distinction will be accepted in lieu of GCSE Science
• 300 UCAS points will be required from A Levels. An A Level in a science subject, or science units within other equivalent level 3 qualifications will be desirable
• A grade of Distinction, Distinction, Merit will be required from BTECs in a Health and Social Care or Science related subject
• Access to Higher Education Diploma - applicants will be required to successfully pass the full course with at least 10 level 3 credits at merit and 20 level 3 credits at distinction. Access students will also be required to have English, Maths and Science GCSEs at A*-C