Midwifery - BSc (Hons)

Qualify as a confident and compassionate midwife. Gain the clinical skills and knowledge to provide holistic, safe, and effective care for women, newborn infants, and their families.

Year of entry

2023 - for 2022 entry see here

Course type

Single Honours

Location

Keele University campus Hospital campus

Subject area / School

School of Nursing and Midwifery

UCAS code

B720

Duration of study

3 years

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Why study Midwifery at Keele University?

Top 20 for Nursing and Midwifery (Guardian University League Table, 2022)

6th in England for Nursing and Midwifery (Complete University Guide, 2022)

Nursing and Midwifery Council approved programme

This course has achieved Stage 1 accreditation from the Baby Friendly Initiative.

£5,000 non-repayable annual grant to support your studies

Course overview

Explore the fundamentals of midwifery and develop your understanding of the whole maternity journey for mothers and infants. Gain clinical skills to support childbearing women, newborn infants and families through pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and the early weeks of life. You will study the importance of communication in care provision and in building professional relationships.

Your training will ensure you can anticipate, prevent, and respond with confidence to the additional needs and complications that can arise during pregnancy. Your practice will be underpinned by evidence to ensure that you are delivering high-quality and safe care to women and infants at every stage of their journey.

As a midwife you will respect women's individual circumstances and advocate their wishes where appropriate. You will support mothers to confidently use their voice throughout their pregnancy, delivery and beyond, but also enable them to provide nurturing care to their infant.

Multidisciplinary learning

Your studies will combine theory and clinical practice and you will be taught by highly qualified, registered Midwives. We have a multidisciplinary approach to teaching so you will work alongside students from medicine, physiotherapy, nursing, pharmacy, and social work enabling you to benefit from inter-professional education required within the clinical setting.

You will improve your midwifery techniques, so you are ready for practical placements using simulation with mannequins and patient simulators in our Clinical Skills Lab.

Strengthening your employability

Placements

50% of your time will be spent on placements and we have excellent relationships with our placement partners. Improving your practical abilities in a healthcare environment will increase your knowledge so you can have a successful future as a midwife.

You will have the opportunity to experience a range of settings within a 60 mile radius of Keele. There will be guidance on your placement from midwives who are practice assessors and practice supervisors.

There is also a community placement which will be within a 20 mile radius of the hospital base and there are placement opportunities at the the Women’s Centre at Stafford Hospital.

Usually, your hospital placements will be at the Royal Stoke Hospital which includes a level 3 neonatal unit and a birth centre. Plus, there are antenatal and postnatal wards, delivery suite, early pregnancy unit, antenatal clinics, maternity assessment unit and transitional care for babies who may need a little more nursing support. We also use Birmingham Women's Hospital as an alternative to the hospital site in Stoke-on-Trent.

We offer a vibrant and supportive environment for students that facilitates your development as a competent and assured midwife. Your academic mentor will provide guidance with any issues you may have and give support with some of your assessments during the three year course.

Clinical supervisors and assessors will give you guidance during clinical practice. They will check your competencies for specific areas of the course via the Midwifery Ongoing Record of Achievement (MORA). Different areas will be assessed during the programme and there are also requirements of practice episodes which relate to the specific numbers of cases you must complete.

A Student Experience and Support team is based within our Faculty with a member of the team dedicated to our School. Part of student services they work closely with teams across Keele to you can easily access the support you need.

There is peer support and additional help is available from the School's Disability Liaison Officer who provides an additional layer of support for all students, particularly for those who have special learning needs.

You will have access to a mixture of advice and support services at Keele which include;

Learning Support and Academic Guidance
Disability Services
English Language Unit
Student Advice at Keele (ASK)
Student Support Services
Occupational Health Department / University Health Centre

Financial help

Student midwives are eligible to receive an annual grant of at least £5,000 to help cover their living costs. Additional financial grants are also available for eligible students - more information and full eligibility criteria can be found here.

Next Steps

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Approved programme

Children's Nursing is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and has been designed to meet the seven NMC platforms which underpin pre-registration nursing education. The course is taught by lecturers who are expert clinicians, and qualified teachers in different specialisms. Their research feeds into our teaching. On successful completion of this course, you can apply for NMC nursing registration.

Nursing and Midwifery Council logo

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Additional opportunities

Foundation year Explore more

Entry requirements

Keele strives to be a place where learning, living and working is a positive experience for our entire community, and we're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity to all our applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. That's why we operate a range of 'alternative offer' schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying within the Keele region, and recognising a range of additional qualifications in your offer.

The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the likely offer or range of offers which would be made to candidates along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application.

Read more about our undergraduate entry requirements for United Kingdom and International students.

Please note in addition to our academic entry requirements, to be accepted onto a Nursing or Midwifery programme at Keele you must also fulfil a range of additional requirements. Details of these additional requirements and expectations can be found here.

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, Foundation Year offers an alternative route to study for this degree.

GCSEs: Unless stated in the table below, a minimum of 5 GCSE subjects at Grade C (or 4) including English Language and Maths or equivalent qualifications (e.g. Functional Skills Level 2 / Key Skills Level 2). GCSE or equivalent qualifications must have been achieved prior to application.

If English is not your first language, normally applicants will have IELTS (Academic) with an overall score of 7.0, including least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections. The University may be able to accept alternative English Language qualifications from applicants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) on a case by case basis in line with the appropriate Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines.

Plus one of the following level 3 qualifications:

Qualification	Required A level Grade Profile	Further Information
A levels (Full A2)	ABB	The applicant must hold Biology, Human Biology, Health and Social care, Psychology or Sociology.
Access to Higher Education Diploma	60 Credits At least 45 Credits at Level 3. At least 30 level 3 credits at distinction and 15 level three credits at merit. A minimum of 18 level 3 credits from health or science related subjects.	Health/ Science subjects only will be accepted. Maths and English Language at Grade C/ Grade 4 or above or equivalent, or 12 credits at Level 2 or 3 in English and 12 credits at Level 2 or 3 in Maths. Maths and English qualifications can be pending if studied alongside a pending Access to Higher Education Diploma.
Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma / Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)	DDM	Health / Science subjects only will be accepted.
BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (QCF) and National Extended Certificate (previously known as the Subsidiary Diploma) (QCF) are acceptable combined with additional A level or equivalent Level 3 qualification(s).	128 UCAS Tariff points from the equivalent of 3 A Level qualifications. Use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth.	Subjects must include one of: Biology, Human Biology, Health and Social care, Psychology or Sociology.
Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC)	DDM	Health / Science subjects only will be accepted.
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma/Technical Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care	Grade A
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma/ Technical Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education	Grade A
NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma for the Children & Young People's Workforce	Grade A
Open University K101/K102 - An Introduction to Health and Social Care	Pass - 60 points at Level 1	GCSE requirements: Maths and English Language at Grade C / Grade 4 or above or equivalent.
Previous degree	Pass	Any subject accepted. GCSE requirements: Maths and English Language at Grade C/ Grade 4 or above or equivalent.
International Baccalaureate	H6,H5,H5 or 32 overall. Must include H5 in Science Subject	One Higher Level science subject is required (Biology preferred) at grade 5.
Irish Leaving Certificate	128 UCAS tariff points from 5 Highers Use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth.	Biology, Human Biology, Health and Social care, Psychology or Sociology required at Higher level. Ordinary level English Language and Maths grades O1-O4 (or A-C / A1-C3 up to and including 2016) are required in lieu of GCSEs.
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma (core) acceptable combined with additional A level or equivalent Level 3 qualification(s).	128 UCAS Tariff points from the equivalent of 3 A Level qualifications. Use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth.	Subjects must include one of: Biology, Human Biology, Health and Social care, Psychology or Sociology.
T Levels	Distinction overall in Health

Vocational qualifications: NVQ or equivalent qualifications are not accepted.The School will consider applicants who hold a relevant Higher National Diploma, Foundation Degree or other health related higher education qualifications. Please contact nursing.admissions@keele.ac.uk for advice.

If your qualifications are not listed here please contact nursing.admissions@keele.ac.uk for advice.

We recognise that applicants have different backgrounds and experiences and that some applicants may not have had the same opportunities to demonstrate their suitability for HE. Therefore, we will consider the additional data and information provided on your application (the contextual data) as part of the selection process to help identify applicants whose academic performance to date may not be a true reflection of their potential to succeed at University. Our offer will reflect our recognition of individual circumstances.

We recognise the skills and knowledge acquired whilst studying an EPQ qualification and therefore will take this into consideration when assessing your application. If your EPQ is in a relevant subject to the course you have applied for, it will be included in your offer. If you are also eligible for another offer scheme, for example our Contextual Data Offer Scheme, your offer will reflect this and your EPQ qualification will not form part of your offer.

FURTHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Offers are subject to Occupational Health clearances and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.
The University follows the DBS Code of Practice in these issues and can provide a copy of the Code on request.

A reference for the applicant must be completed on the UCAS form by the referee. This is normally from an academic tutor. For applicants invited for interview, a second reference may be required. Friends, relatives or neighbours are not eligible to act as referees. All offers are subject to satisfactory references.

All candidates for pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery programmes are required to meet or exceed NMC requirements, including literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills.

In addition, we prefer applicants to have gained some experience of working with people in a caring environment.

Applicants are advised not to submit a ‘mixed’ application, but to focus on midwifery.

We are unable to consider late applications, submitted after the 26 January equal consideration deadline.

Application Process: Application is via UCAS. The UCAS application is scored. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview. This can be either in person or remotely as appropriate.

INTERNATIONAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The following information is for applicants with overseas qualifications and / or classed as overseas for fees.

If you are unsure of your fee status, please check the guidance on the fee assessment pages.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Please view equivalent entry criteria for your country.
Subject specific requirements also apply for this course. Please contact us for advice.

If the qualifications you have are not listed, or you are unsure whether you meet our criteria, please contact the admissions office for advice: nursing.admissions@keele.ac.uk

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

All students must provide evidence of a recognised qualification in English Language, such as:

GCSE (first language) English Language – Grade C (Grade 4 for applicants taking the reformed GCSE qualifications in England)
International English Language Testing Service (IELTS, academic) -7.0 overall, with at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections
Pearson (PTE) Academic - 65 (components 55)
Cambridge English First (foundations) and Advanced - 185 (subtests 176)

If you have taken a school qualification in English we may be able to accept this: please email nursing.admissions@keele.ac.uk for advice.

If you don't think you'll meet the entry requirements specified, you may be able to gain entry to this course via a Foundation Year.

Preparation programmes for international students

International students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this course have the opportunity to study an International Foundation Year programme.

These courses are designed to prepare international students to enter into Keele University undergraduate degrees.

Next Steps

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Baby Friendly Initiative

T‌his course has achieved Stage 1 accreditation from the Baby Friendly Initiative.

Baby Friendly Accreditation logo

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Your Nursing and Midwifery Checklist

In addition to our academic requirements, to be accepted onto a nursing or midwifery programme you must also fulfil a range of additional requirements and expectations to esnure you can practice safely and complete the programme effectively.

DBS Check

An enhanced DBS clearance prior to starting your course is required so that the public are protected, and their safety can be assured. You'll need to provide additional documents to support your DBS application which may include a current passport, valid driving licence, birth certificate and utility bill.

Shifts

Programmes are demanding but rewarding. You are expected to work a variety of shift patterns including early, late and night shifts to enable you to participate in care over a 24 hour period. Shift work provides you with excellent experience and builds your skillset.

Travelling to placements

You are expected to fulfil your placement requirements which may require you to travel. Organisation is therefore key to ensure you are able to complete a range of placements.

Occupational Health

Occupational Health Clearance is required to assess medical fitness to engage in pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes.

Placement circuits are fixed

Placements during your course are fixed to ensure you get the range of experiences required to become a nurse or midwife.

Personal care

You will care for a diverse group of people and will deliver personal care to patients with different gender identities.

Vaccines

You must have the required vaccinations so that you protect yourself and those whom you are caring for.

Uniform

Uniform must be worn smartly, as you represent Keele University and also the nursing and midwifery professions.

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Hours

Programmes are full time and can be demanding. You can expect your time to be split into 50% theory and 50% practice.

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Foundation year

Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year.

This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence.

Keele University is consistently ranked among the top universities for student satisfaction, and we have over 70 years' experience of teaching a foundation year to students. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

Course content

Our Foundation Year allows you to develop your critical thinking, academic reading, writing, and communication study skills along with subject-specific knowledge and skills. Upon meeting the progression criteria and successfully completing our Foundation Year, you will automatically progress into your Keele undergraduate degree with the confidence that you have the skills, and knowledge needed to successfully complete your course.

This Foundation Year is a is a two semester programme which provides a tailored pre-degree programme of study to better prepare you for the BSc (Hons) Midwifery. For example, in the Academic and Professional Development for Health module you will begin to develop an awareness of professional standards that you will be working to in your degree and professional career. Course content has been developed in collaboration with degree teaching teams, so that by the time you begin Year 1, you will be ready to excel at your studies, as the majority of our Foundation Year students do.

You will gain a greater appreciation of historical and contemporary approaches to health and social care within the UK, considering key health issues and challenges facing health and science services. At the same time, we will advance your knowledge of human biology and chemistry, giving you a solid grasp of body systems, science and lab work. You'll develop safe, professional laboratory skills and get to know the mathematical techniques and quantitative methods used across health science-related and social care programmes.

Throughout the programme, you will develop subject-specific and broad based skills that will be invaluable in your academic career and beyond. You can find out more about our Foundation Year, Including Information on learning, teaching and assessment methods and further opportunities available to you by visiting our homepage.

Course structure

The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.

Semester one modules

FYO-00237	Foundations of Human Biology for Health	15 credits
FYO-00241	Foundations of Chemistry - Health	15 credits
FYO-00213	Foundations of Numerical and Quantitative Methods for Health Students	15 credits

Semester two modules

FYO-00239	Advancing Human Biology for Health	30 credits
FYO-00245	Foundations in Health and Society	15 credits

Year long modules (semesters one and two)

FYO-00181

Academic and Professional Development

30 credits

Entry requirements

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.

Candidates who progress from the Health Foundation Year onto year 1 of the degree course will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check (Enhanced plus Barring Lists) and health check.

For admission enquiries please contact nursing.admissions@keele.ac.uk

English Language Requirements for International/EU Applicants

In addition to meeting the Level 3 requirements, candidates whose first language is not English will need IELTS with an overall score of 7.0, including at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7.0 in the reading, listening and speaking sections, or GCSE English Language at 4 (C) or above.

A-levels	Alternative Qualifications	Additional GCSE requirements
BBB	Further information	A minimum of 3 GCSE subjects at Grade C (or 4) including English Language and Maths or equivalent qualifications (e.g. Functional Skills Level 2 / Key Skills Level 2). Must have been achieved prior to application (unless studied alongside a pending Access to Higher Education Diploma). Please see the Alternative Qualifications section for further details.

How to apply

UCAS Applications

Visit UCAS for applications. You should apply for Midwifery with Foundation Year

UCAS code: B721

Direct entry students

If you already have your qualifications, are not expecting any further results and only wish to apply to Keele, please contact the Admissions Office directly.

Our International Foundation Year is delivered on campus through Keele University International College (KUIC). Find out more about the International Foundation Year options on the KUIC website.

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Midwifery - BSc (Hons)

Year of entry

Course type

Location

Subject area / School

UCAS code

Duration of study

Keele Undergraduate Enquiries Form

Your Preferences

Why study Midwifery at Keele University?

Course overview

Multidisciplinary learning

Strengthening your employability

Placements

Financial help

Next Steps

Approved programme

Additional opportunities

Entry requirements

FURTHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

INTERNATIONAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Preparation programmes for international students

Next Steps

Baby Friendly Initiative

Fees and funding

Next Steps

Modules

Next Steps

Your future career

Enhance your employability

Next Steps

Your Nursing and Midwifery Checklist

Teaching, learning and assessment

Foundation year

Course content

Course structure

Semester one modules

Semester two modules

Year long modules (semesters one and two)

Entry requirements

How to apply

UCAS Applications

Direct entry students

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