Course snapshot
Domestic snapshot
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Start Date
-
Duration
3 years full-time; 6 years part-time
3.5 years minimum for students commencing Session 2 or Session 3. -
Location
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Placements
NA
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ATAR
90 / 6
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Inherent Requirements
NA
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Entry Requirements
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Course abbreviation
BMid
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Course code
3007229
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Credit points
288
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Equivalent units
24
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Indicative Fee
Overview
Take part in the most significant event in most people’s lives by training for a rewarding and challenging career as a midwife.
The Bachelor of Midwifery will combine your talent and dedication with the skills you need to provide holistic care for a woman and her child during pregnancy, childbirth and early infancy. This course offers a solid grounding in midwifery theory and practice, primary healthcare, women’s health and psychosocial sciences. You will be equipped to work in multi-disciplinary teams and in partnership with women to contribute to healthier outcomes for mother and baby.
Placements in this degree give you the opportunity to follow the journey of women throughout their pregnancies, to experience the full range of midwifery practice.
Graduates of this program will be able to register and practice as midwives across a range of settings, including public and private hospitals, clinics and as midwifery educators.
Graduate Attribute | Course Learning Outcome |
---|---|
Intellectual rigour | Applies clinical reasoning, problem solving and communication skills to support the delivery of evidence informed midwifery and individualised care within a range of specific and diverse practice contexts Critically review the theory and practice of contemporary midwifery care within the dynamic professional national and international contexts Applies knowledge and skills of reflection, critical analysis and research to recognise areas that promote advancement of the discipline of midwifery throughout their career |
Creativity | Applies clinical reasoning, problem solving and communication skills to support the delivery of evidence informed midwifery and individualised care within a range of specific and diverse practice contexts |
Ethical practice | Provide evidence informed practice to the women in their care, using primary healthcare principles and a woman-centred philosophy by applying NMBA standards and codes of Midwifery Conduct professional practice in collaboration with others within broad parameters to provide seamless and appropriately targeted midwifery care in order to enhance high quality outcomes for women and their babies |
Knowledge of a discipline | Examines normal physiological mechanisms of the human body and how this relates to the childbearing continuum for woman and fetus/baby Critically review the theory and practice of contemporary midwifery care within the dynamic professional national and international contexts |
Lifelong learning | Engage in educational, political and professional collaboration and make an active contribution to advance the philosophy of midwifery across policy, practice, education, research and evaluate service development Applies knowledge and skills of reflection, critical analysis and research to recognise areas that promote advancement of the discipline of midwifery throughout their career |
Communication and social skills | Provide evidence informed practice to the women in their care, using primary healthcare principles and a woman-centred philosophy by applying NMBA standards and codes of Midwifery Conduct professional practice in collaboration with others within broad parameters to provide seamless and appropriately targeted midwifery care in order to enhance high quality outcomes for women and their babies Applies clinical reasoning, problem solving and communication skills to support the delivery of evidence informed midwifery and individualised care within a range of specific and diverse practice contexts Engage in educational, political and professional collaboration and make an active contribution to advance the philosophy of midwifery across policy, practice, education, research and evaluate service development |
Cultural competence | Critically review the theory and practice of contemporary midwifery care within the dynamic professional national and international contexts |
Students are required to undertake about 1,000 hours of supervised placements and may attend antenatal and postnatal assessments/visits with women; provide direct care to women during labour; assist women during birth; support women and their babies with diverse needs across pregnancy, labour and birth, and the postnatal period; and experience the full scope of midwifery practice.
Please be aware labour and birth can be unpredictable and occur at any time of the day or night. Therefore the continuity-of-care component in the program requires you to be ‘on call’. The professional experience rostered placement may occur ‘away’ from your campus and place of residence. Students are responsible for any cost incurred for travel and accommodation.
Professional experience placements require students to fulfil certain pre-requisites prior to attending any placements (e.g. a working with children check and National Police Certificate). Prior to applying for this course, please consider the important information regarding these requirements.
The Bachelor of Midwifery is specifically designed to develop graduates for entry to professional midwifery practice. The course prepares graduates with skills, knowledge and attitudes to provide high quality woman-centred care through safe and effective midwifery practice in accordance with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council National Competency Standards for the Midwife.
Study areas include:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Midwifery theory and practice
- Primary health care
- Psychosocial sciences
- Women’s health.
Pathway for Registered Nurses: In accordance with the approved pathway, a Registered Nurse (RN) only needs to complete the midwifery specific units, (60% of the total course, mostly part-time) in order to complete the Bachelor of Midwifery. Students do not begin midwifery placements until session 2 of year 1, but are thereafter in practice continuously except for the University break at the end of the year.
To be considered for the RN pathway, applicants need to provide evidence of current Nurse Registration with AHPRA, proof of employment equivalent to one year full-time working as a RN within the last three years and a copy of their completed Bachelor of Nursing degree
For further information about midwifery, visit the School of Health and Human Sciences’ midwifery page.
Location | Teaching period | UAC code | QTAC code |
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Coffs Harbour | Session 1 , Session 2 | 335153 | 055451 |
Gold Coast | Session 1 , Session 2 | 335167 | 055861 |
Career Outcomes
The Bachelor of Midwifery is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and provides the necessary qualification for graduates to be eligible to register and practise as a midwife in Australia.
Further training is required to work as a privately practising midwife.
[Please note: In order to register to practice, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency [AHPRA]’s standards for English language must be met. See the AHPRA web site for further information.]
Requirements
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you are not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, our team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Before applying, make sure you double check all entry requirements, gather required documentation and review the University’s Rules Relating to Awards, noting any specifics listed below.
Entry requirements
Applicants must have achieved:
- satisfactory completion of at least six years of primary and secondary education taught and assessed in English in one of the Recognised Countries (see below), including at least two years between years 7 and 12; or
- completed at least two years (full time equivalent combined secondary and/or tertiary and/or vocational education taught and assessed solely in English, in one of the Recognised Countries; or
- the IELTS (academic module) with a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components: or
- the OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components; or
- the PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills; or
- the TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test: 24 listening, 24 reading, 27 writing, and 23 speaking; or
- successful completion of the English for Academic Purposes 3 program at SCU College. Applicants who enrol via this pathway will need to separately meet the English language requirements of registration to practice.
Recognised Countries means the following countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, UK and USA.
Please note, Rule 2 Schedule B test scores equivalencies do not apply to this course.
In order to register to practice, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency [AHPRA]’s standards for English language must be met. See https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/English-language-skills.aspx for further information.
An applicant who has completed a Certificate III qualification will not be admitted solely on the basis of this qualification
Credit for prior learning
Candidates admitted under Rule 2 Section 2 may be granted advanced standing for equivalent units of study completed at university during the past 3 years. Equivalence will be based on evidence provided by the applicant which demonstrates to the Course Coordinator that the applicant has completed studies that are 70% equivalent to one or more of the units in the Bachelor of Midwifery.
Course requirements
To be eligible to receive the Bachelor of Midwifery, students must complete 288 credit points, comprising all core units.
Exit Awards
Students may be eligible to exit with an Associate Degree of Health and Human Sciences after completing 192 credit points, comprising any 16 core units.
Students may be eligible to exit with a Diploma of Health and Human Sciences after completing 96 credit points, comprising any 8 core units.
Professional Experience Learning
This course includes professional experience learning. Pre-requisites to meet national and state-based regulatory requirements, as detailed on School of Health and Human Sciences Professional Experience page must be met prior to attending professional experience placement. All professional experience learning hours must be completed and professional behaviour and conduct must be demonstrated.
Progression
Students are not permitted to have an extended period of more than 12 months between study of any two (2) units with professional experience learning.
Students are not permitted to have an extended period of more than 12 months between study of a theory unit that relates specifically to a particular unit with professional experience learning.
Students who have an interrupted study sequence of more than 12 months will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may be required to undertake a specified supported professional experience placement to ensure professional experience currency prior to continuation of the course.
Duration
The maximum duration for completion of the award of Bachelor of Midwifery is six (6) years in total which includes any period for a leave of absence.
Inherent Requirements
Inherent Requirements apply to this course as defined on the Student Access & Inclusion website. Students who have a disability or health condition which may impact on their ability to meet these requirements are encouraged to visit the Student Access & Inclusion website for further information and contact details.
Course structure
Your course progression is in the recommended order you should complete your course in. It is important that you follow this to ensure you meet the course requirements. For further assistance see How to Enrol in Units using My Enrolment.
Students should use course progression information to select units specific to their course and enrol in these units using My Enrolment.
Unit Code | Unit Title | Available | Credit points | Level of learning | Notes |
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Complete one or both of the units under Session 3 below and then follow the Course Progression for Session 1 Commencement (full-time or part-time) excluding the completed unit/s. | |||||
Session 3 |
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BIO10662 - Systemic Anatomy | Introductory | ||||
NUT00214 - Food and Nutrition in Health | Introductory |
Unit Code | Unit Title | Available | Credit points | Level of learning | Notes |
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Year 1, Session 1 |
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MWF10661 - Midwifery Foundations | Introductory | ||||
MWF10745 - Primary Health Care Midwifery | Introductory | ||||
Year 1, Session 2 |
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MWF10746 - Optimising Health in Childbearing I | Introductory | Note 1 | |||
MWF10747 - Midwifery Continuity Partnerships A | Introductory | ||||
Year 2, Session 1 |
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MWF20001 - Optimising Health in Childbearing II | Intermediate | ||||
MWF20002 - Midwifery Continuity Partnerships B | Intermediate | ||||
Year 2, Session 2 |
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MWF20003 - Optimising Health in Complex Childbearing | Advanced | ||||
MWF20004 - Midwifery Practice in Complex Childbearing | Advanced | ||||
MWF20005 - Midwifery Continuity Partnerships C | Advanced | ||||
Year 3, Session 1 |
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MWF30001 - High Acuity Midwifery | Advanced | Note 1 | |||
MWF73006 - Midwifery Continuity Partnerships D | Advanced | ||||
Year 3, Session 2 |
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MWF30003 Transition to Registered Midwife | |||||
MWF73003 - The Role of the Midwife as Leader, Mentor and Educator | Advanced | ||||
MWF30004 - Midwifery Internship | Advanced |
Note 1:
Double-weighted Unit
Unit Code | Unit Title | Level of learning | Notes | ||
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Core Units |
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BIO10662 | Systemic Anatomy | Introductory | |||
BIO71002 | Human Physiology I | Introductory | |||
MAT71004 | Introduction to Evidence for Health Science Practitioners | Introductory | |||
PHA00315 | Introductory Pharmacology | Introductory | |||
BIO71003 | Human Physiology II | Introductory | |||
CUL00408 | Health and Indigenous Australian Peoples | Intermediate | |||
NUT00214 | Food and Nutrition in Health | Introductory | |||
MWF10661 | Midwifery Foundations | Introductory | |||
MWF10745 | Primary Health Care Midwifery | Introductory | |||
MWF10746 | Optimising Health in Childbearing I | Introductory | Note 1 | ||
MWF10747 | Midwifery Continuity Partnerships A | Introductory | |||
MWF20001 | Optimising Health in Childbearing II | Intermediate | |||
MWF20002 | Midwifery Continuity Partnerships B | Intermediate | |||
MWF20003 | Optimising Health in Complex Childbearing | Advanced | |||
MWF20004 | Midwifery Practice in Complex Childbearing | Advanced | |||
MWF20005 | Midwifery Continuity Partnerships C | Advanced | |||
MWF30001 | High Acuity Midwifery | Advanced | Note 1 | ||
MWF73006 | Midwifery Continuity Partnerships D | Advanced | |||
MWF73003 | The Role of the Midwife as Leader, Mentor and Educator | Advanced | |||
MWF30003 | Transition to Registered Midwife | Advanced | |||
MWF10681 | Mental Health and Wellbeing | Advanced | |||
MWF30004 | Midwifery Internship | Advanced |