What I enjoy most about the programme is being able to learn the theory and reasoning behind our practice and then put that knowledge to use, improving the care experience for women.
Midwives work in partnership with women and their families to provide care and support during pregnancy and childbirth. Using their evidence-based knowledge, midwives offer women the information and guidance to enable them to make informed choices regarding their care provision.
At the University of Surrey, you will have the opportunity to gain both an academic and a professional qualification within three years. The Midwifery degree programme combines theory and practice in supportive and stimulating learning environments and offers a variety of contexts for clinical placements. You will be taught by experienced midwives who are actively engaged in research activities and are closely involved with midwifery colleagues in practice. As a student midwife at Surrey, you will have all the benefits of studying in one of the UK’s leading universities, as well as those which result from joining one of our local NHS Trusts for your practice experience.
For qualified, practising, adult nurses who wish to become midwives, we will also offer a 78-week programme from September 2014.
Our degree programme leads to professional registration as a midwife. It is equally divided between academic study and practical experience. You will be taught to critically evaluate the evidence-based learning and research findings underpinning practice.
You will study a broad range of scientific and midwifery topics in the first part of the programme and pursue these topics in more depth in your second and third years. As a Midwifery student, you will gain experience of delivering care to individual women and their families throughout the prenatal, labour and postnatal period. You will work with qualified midwives, acquiring skills essential for the provision of the highest quality care to women in a range of practice settings.
Following qualification, a midwife can elect to work in NHS Trusts offering differing models of care delivery. The opportunity to develop specialist skills in maternity care is also available. The introduction of the consultant midwife enables an experienced practitioner to further utilise their knowledge, skills and considerable experience to best effect, in order to influence change and improve care for women and their families.
Our programme allows you to develop a responsive attitude to the needs of childbearing women and their families, reflected in your capacity to assess these needs, make judgements and plan, implement and evaluate care.
We strive to develop competent midwives, able to utilise evidence-based practice, and will ensure that you are prepared to practise safely and effectively, within the proficiencies laid down by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
By delivering a sound underpinning of theoretical knowledge that informs your practice, our teaching facilitates your understanding of knowledge and skills developed through critical thinking, problem solving and reflection on midwifery practice. As a result, you will develop the capacity to contribute to the wider healthcare agenda of clinical effectiveness, clinical governance and public health.
Successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Midwifery programme will make you eligible to apply for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
We are proud of the range and quality of practical experiences which our students encounter. The Midwifery programme is made up of a balance between theory and practice, with placements in hospital and community settings.
You will be allocated a ‘home’ NHS Trust in Surrey or West Sussex where you will obtain your practice experience. You will be prepared within our simulation suite before going out into midwifery practice, to ensure that you have the confidence to perform well on placement.
During each placement experience, you will work with qualified midwives over a range of shifts, acquiring skills essential for you to provide the highest quality care. You will be supported by clinical and academic staff throughout each placement. These experiences lead to potential employment opportunities for students within their ‘home’ Trust.
A variety of teaching methods is employed, including lectures, computer-assisted learning, enquiry-based learning, small group work, simulation and directed reading. Extensive learning takes place in the practice settings, facilitated by mentors.
You will learn alongside students from other healthcare programmes, which will enable you to develop an understanding of the importance of inter-professional teamworking.
A mixture of continuous assessment and examinations is used for both theoretical work and practical experience throughout the programme. Over the three years, you will build up a portfolio of your achievements and progress, reflecting your fitness for practice. Your learning is supported by our well-equipped Library and computer facilities, and you will be allocated your own personal tutor for support and guidance.
There are numerous employment opportunities for qualified midwives, both in the UK and internationally. Many of our graduates are initially employed by the NHS Trust where they had their practice experience, before going on to further studies and employment opportunities.
Midwives can choose to work in both community and hospital settings, and can further their careers by developing specialist expertise in a range of areas, such as family planning and managing pregnancy in women with HIV. There are also opportunities in education and mentoring, management and research to improve midwifery practice. For more information about careers, visit: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
The three-year programme runs over 45 weeks each year, with seven weeks’ holiday, usually at Christmas, Easter and during the summer. The length of the programme year and the holiday entitlement are requirements of the professional regulation for midwifery education.
We also offer a programme targeted at qualified, practising, adult nurses who wish to become midwives. The programme currently runs for 78 weeks (18 months), alongside the three-year direct entry programme, and commences in September 2014.
Our Midwifery graduates have excellent prospects of employment after programme completion.
If you are a registered practitioner looking for an undergraduate programme to further your learning, please visit our Continuing Professional Development page
If you are a registered adult nurse wishing to become a midwife, further information is available on our 78-week Midwifery programme.
Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.
GCSE English Language, Mathematics and Science at grade C or above (or equivalent). A relevant science A-level is desirable.
Shortlisting
Admissions staff will review the information provided within the personal statement and reference to assess applications for evidence of academic ability, insight and motivation. Relevant experience in a care setting and/or evidence of other involvement in the community (for example school, voluntary or charity responsibilities) is normally required. Personal statements should be comprehensive, with correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview and selection day.
Interview and selection day
Interviews are conducted jointly by University academics assisted by staff from clinical practice areas. As part of the selection process, candidates are required to complete literacy and numeracy exercises; satisfactory levels of achievement in these exercises is a requirement for entry to the programmes.
Admission to this programme is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) Section 4 (2) (Exemptions) Order 1975 and DHSS Circular HC (88)9 guidelines regarding police checks and child protection. Offers are conditional upon satisfactory health and fitness for practice screening, references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance, or equivalent. Candidates must also meet national requirements to work with vulnerable adults and children.
Admission is also subject to NHS eligibility for the programme. Further information on eligibility is available at www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/students. Proof of eligibility is normally required prior to interview.
Candidates should have the ability to follow a shift pattern covering 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and be able to meet travel requirements. Candidates are encouraged to gain practical work experience in a care setting prior to undertaking the programme. All programmes and places are subject to commissioned numbers. All applicants should be able to demonstrate evidence of study within the last five years.
The Department of Health requires all midwifery students to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C during the induction week. Those testing positive would be subject to Department of Health guidelines for entry to the programme.
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 7.0 or above, with a minimum of 7.0 in each sub-skill (or equivalent).
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
| Award | Course Length | Professional Training | UCAS code | KIS code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Hons) | 3 years | B711 | View KIS data set | |
| BSc (Hons) | 78 weeks | B720 | View KIS data set |
We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.
See course information for students applying to start in September 2013.
Phone: +44 (0)1483 681 681
