Intro

As a midwife you'll provide essential care, advice and support to women and their families during pregnancy, labour and early post-natal stages.

You will enjoy a career with unique challenges and rewards as you share people’s most personal experiences. 

On our accredited midwifery degree you'll spend 50% of the course on clinical placements.

University learning includes simulated care in our specialist midwifery facilities which include skills rooms, a simulation ward and a community flat. 

You’ll share learning with other health specialisms, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration.

We hold the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) full accreditation.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code B720

Full-time 3 years

This course meets NMC standards and course graduates are eligible for registration.

To be considered for this course you must submit your application by 29 January 2025.

What are my next steps?

Apply now with UCAS for 2025

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels
BBB. Must include a science, psychology or sociology at grade B.

BTEC
DDM in a health or science subject.

International Baccalaureate
30 overall with three subjects at Higher level. 

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Health studies, nursing or science. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at distinction and 21 credits at merit or above.

T-level
Merit in the Health, Healthcare Science or Science T-level. Other T-levels are not accepted.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least three GCSEs including maths, English language and science. Students with an Access diploma require maths and English. 

If you do not have the required GCSEs, find out which equivalent qualifications we accept instead.

English language requirement
IELTS 7.0 overall, with 7.0 in writing – NMC requirement.

Age requirement
Applicants must be aged 18 or over on the day the course begins.

Other qualifications
We accept a range of other qualifications but they must be  equivalent to Level 3 and contain the appropriate amount of science content. The CACHE Diploma, for example, is accepted but only if specific modules are taken which fulfil the science requirements.

For this course which leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a midwife, you must demonstrate the following:

  • completion of 10 years' general education
  • evidence of study within the last five years
  • evidence of commitment to the profession
  • provision of a personal statement which demonstrates the ability and desire to become a midwife
  • an academic reference indicating potential to study at degree level and indicating the applicant is of good character
  • a character reference, which may come from an employer if appropriate, or other appropriate person, indicating good communication skills, caring qualities and a positive attitude
  • passing of occupational health and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
  • ability to meet travel requirements to attend placements
  • ability to follow a shift pattern that could cover any part of a 24-hour seven-day cycle.

Occupational health screening and vaccinations
You will need to complete an occupational health screening and we strongly encourage that you get all of the required vaccinations. Particular vaccinations are a requirement of certain NHS placement providers and are in place to protect you and the patients. Without the appropriate vaccinations you will not be able to undertake some placements – and this may impact on your ability to complete your course. The list of required vaccinations is updated by the NHS and may change over the course of your studies.

Deferred applications
We are not able to accept applications for deferred entry onto this course. If you wish to apply for a later year of entry, we recommend waiting until the admissions cycle for that year opens – this is usually in October of each year.

We embrace diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those who form part of minority groups.

Read our midwifery application and interview tips.

Interviews

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend an online interview.

For courses starting in September 2025 interviews will be held on the following dates: 

  • 27 November 2024
  • 5, 6, 10 and 12 December 2024
  • 14, 16, 28 and 30 January 2025
  • 25 and 27 February 2025
  • 11, 13 and 25 March 2025.

Contextual admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more about contextual admissions.

Graphic with the text 'Potential + possibility'

Course content

Top reasons to choose this course

  • Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
  • We hold Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) full accreditation.
  • Our simulation suite includes a replica hospital room and home birthing room.
  • Share learning with other health specialisms, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration, sharing knowledge and expertise.
  • Non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year
  • Opportunity to gain a global perspective on an overseas placement.
  • Brighton is in the UK top 25% for graduate earnings in nursing and midwifery, three years after graduating – Longitudinal Education Outcomes 2022
student midwife carrying baby mannequins

Course structure

You university studies are based at the Falmer campus with external clinical placements.

You'll develop core midwifery competencies in areas including human biology and relationships, midwifery practice and its professional framework. As you progress through the midwifery degree, you will learn about more complex medical or obstetric needs and referral of mother or baby.

Our midwifery degree is underpinned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards of Proficiency for Midwives 2019 and includes the newly approved Newborn Infant Physical Examination qualification as part of the year 3 modules.

You will follow Unicef UK Baby Friendly accreditation standards throughout your learning ensuring you are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support infant feeding and relationship building effectively.

You’ll share learning with other health specialisms, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration, sharing knowledge and expertise.

As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in Schwartz Rounds - hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Recognising that patients come first in everything the NHS does, and the values of the NHS constitution – respect, dignity, compassion and working together for service users – are embedded in our curriculum.

student listening to the mannequins baby's heartbeat

Year 1

There are five modules in year 1 that follow the journey of the woman and her family through all stages of pregnancy, labour and postnatal care. In each module you will journey with families through their pregnancy, gaining knowledge and understanding through a holistic approach.

Alongside these modules you will undertake clinical placements, where you'll be able to use your theoretical knowledge in providing supervised care for women, babies and their families, whilst being supported and assessed by the degree team.

Modules

  • Pregnancy Beginnings

    This module introduces the role and responsibilities of the midwife during preconception and early pregnancy. You'll develop a fundamental understanding of midwifery, and the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to support women and their families for pregnancy. Your studies will be supported by relevant anatomy and physiology topics.

  • Pregnancy

    This module builds on the Pregnancy Beginnings module, and will continue to develop your insight to the role of the midwife. You'll develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours for antenatal care, enabling you to be responsive to the individual needs of women and their families.

  • Birth

    This module introduces the role and responsibility of the midwife during birth, exploring the main themes and concepts in the provision of contemporary midwifery care. This will be supported by using labour and birth scenarios to explore biological adaptation in the mother, the experiences of women and families, and the assessment and planning of care. You will also develop your skills in presenting information and evidence.

  • Beyond Birth

    This module introduces midwifery care during the period following birth. You'll explore the midwife’s role in optimising the newborn adaptation to life outside the womb, and the mother and their family’s transition to parenthood.

  • Clinical Assessment of Practice

    This module enables you to be assessed and credited for your clinical practice. It aims to help you to build upon your theoretical knowledge from year 1 modules and to develop your clinical practice, leading to the provision of safe and effective midwifery care.

  • Course Hours Requirements for Midwifery

    This module captures clinical hours you have completed in midwifery practice, enabling you to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council requirements for professional registration and to meet the European Directive requirement for midwifery registration.

midwifery student with lecturer

Year 2

In year 2 the journey of pregnancy will become more complex and you will continue to develop a holistic approach to the leading and delivering of care when there are additional needs.

Clinical placements during year 2 include non-midwifery areas of practice to further enhance your skills and knowledge of care provision.

Modules

  • Managing Midwifery Emergencies
  • Contemporary Midwifery and Research
  • Complexities and Childbearing in Midwifery
  • Clinical Assessment of Practice 2
  • Course Hours Requirement of Midwifery 2
student holding a mannequin

Final year

The final year provides you with further opportunities to develop your midwifery skills, working closely with other healthcare professionals, and to become a leader of care provision.

You'll further develop your clinical skills through the Newborn Infant Physical Examination module, and your understanding of midwifery practice in a variety of clinical settings.

Modules

  • Future Midwife
  • Contemporary Midwifery Project
  • Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE)
  • Clinical Assessment of Practice 3 
  • Course Hours Requirement of Midwifery 3
students using midwifery items

Placements

To ensure you can confidently apply theory to practice, you will spend 50% of your year on placements in varied health settings.

Clinical placements are in blocks of weeks and take place at locations in Surrey and across Sussex including Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton, Haywards Heath, Redhill and Worthing. You'll be fully supported during your placements.

Placement shifts can include some weekend and night shifts.

You'll also have the opportunity to gain a global perspective on an overseas placement.

Midwifery student

Facilities

As a Brighton student midwife you will use a range of specialist facilities which will include:

  • a community flat where you'll practise your skills and take part in realistic training scenarios. The adapted home environment has cameras and microphones, so that students can be directed and monitored from the control room while the observation room provides the opportunity to review, playback and debrief.
  • a midwifery simulation ward with observation room where you’ll apply your knowledge in a replica hospital environment.
  • midwifery skills rooms where you’ll gain confidence in the skills you’ll use in your day-to-day professional life.
  • a virtual anatomy lab that houses our 3D anatomy visualisation table

The facilities are so new that we haven't yet taken photos, but you'll be able to see them when you visit us. You can also get a feel for them by watching the short video and checking out our Falmer campus information.

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Study abroad

We are committed to providing a global perspective to nursing and midwifery education.

As such we offer a range of international English-speaking exchange placements to Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice students. All of our international placements are fully supported.

International placements are only with partners with which we have an agreement – this ensures a good quality learning opportunity and safe experience.

We provide guidance with sourcing accommodation, visas, occupational health checks and insurance. You will be connected with a key personal contact for each partner and have access to online support from the university whilst you are abroad.

All students who take part in a study abroad experience identify its immense value, whether through hosting visiting students or participating in an exchange. We share all students' experiences through our newsletters and through the student ambassador project.

If you wish to learn more about these opportunities you are welcome to discuss this at interview.

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Careers

Our midwifery degree enables you to develop core midwifery competencies and equips you to confidently apply theory to practice. It leads to eligibility for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a midwife.

The degree will provide you with an excellent foundation for work in a range of contexts providing midwifery care and for further professional development in clinical practice, education and research.

The midwifery degree is offered in conjunction with local NHS trusts. Many of our graduates find that they leave university with a firm offer of employment from the NHS trust which provided their practice placements. 

The degree also prepares you for further academic study at masters and doctoral level.

midwifery students chatting

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,535 GBP

Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Find out more on the NHS website.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

What's included

Here you’ll find details of specific resources and services that are included in the tuition fee for our nursing and midwifery students. To help you to budget for your studies, there is also information on any additional costs that you may have to pay or can choose to pay in addition to your tuition fee.

Find out how tuition fees enable us to support all of our students with important services, facilities and resources across the university and check out our finance pages for info about fees, funding and scholarships along with advice on international and island fee-paying status.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information.

What's included in your tuition fee

  • An initial set of specialist uniforms.
  • DBS checks and occupational health checks.
  • Where health course includes a placement: UK students – travel costs which are over and above your daily journey to university and dual accommodation costs may be reimbursed by the NHS learning support fund.
  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies. See the subject area in the library for an up-to-date list of key subject journals and databases.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software on campus – and can borrow a laptop from us if yours is broken or you don’t have a computer at home. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning.

Additional course costs

  • Where health course includes a placement: Overseas students are not covered by the NHS learning support fund. This means that any additional travel or accommodation costs for this course will be your responsibility. Travel to placement may be up to 90 mins each way/travel on public transport at peak time cost, and you may incur additional accommodation and living costs if staying away from your usual home base for the length of your placement.
  • You’ll need to budget for printing and stationery for personal study, and books if you decide to buy your own.   
  • In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.   
  • Many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. Students based here study a range of subjects including education studies, teaching, sport and exercise, nursing and midwifery, allied health professions and medicine. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes and the students' union shop and bar.

The campus has extensive sport and leisure facilities including a fitness suite, swimming pool, outdoor grass football and rugby pitches, sports hall, tennis and badminton courts, and dance and spin studios.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources, clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students, and labs and a strength and conditioning suite used by sport students. We’ve recently redeveloped the Falmer campus - learn more about the many facilities our students have access to.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine-minute journey to central Brighton.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Falmer

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

  • You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:
    • Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls offer a range of rooms on our Falmer campus, minutes from your classes, and on the edge of the South Downs.
    • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Falmer campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

student outside the sport and health complex at Falmer

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Students dining at Westlain

Students dining at Westlain

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Falmer campus

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Meet our students  

Imogen Bobbett

"I chose midwifery as it was a long-held ambition, born out of a fascination with pregnancy and childbirth.

"I applied to five universities and was offered a place at all of them – I chose Brighton as it was the most welcoming and the friendliest. The lecturers are knowledgeable and engaging and visiting speakers add a valuable dimension.

"For my placements I have worked in a community setting, both within a core team and a low risk, case-loading team. This latter experience is one of Brighton’s strongest selling points. It not only gives an excellent insight into the continuity of carer model which fits in with the targets set in response to the Better Births report, it also gives invaluable experience of working in a team, home births and case loading.

"I have also worked within an obstetric unit, antenatal day unit, antenatal ward, delivery suite and the post-natal ward, enabling me to capture the whole neonatal experience with both low and high-risk pregnancies. Working at the Eastbourne midwifery-led unit also gave a different perspective on low risk deliveries away from the obstetric influence. I also had experience on the gynae ward, special care baby unit and theatres.

"I chose to go on an international elective to the Philippines, which was a life-changing experience, and also spent time with paramedics, the BPAS clinic, together with time alongside the safeguarding and screening midwives.

"This is an amazing course and Brighton has been a brilliant place to do it. The lecturers really care and are so supportive but it is really hard work. You can’t go into this half-hearted, but if you stick with it, it is the most fantastic career."

Imogen Bobbett

Amber Bathurst

"After being at the birth of my nephew, I was in awe of midwives and their role which drove me to start my midwifery journey.

"After going to the open day at the University of Brighton, I felt very welcome and knew it was the university I wanted to attend. The lecturers at the open day were very friendly and answered any questions I had.

"The most enjoyable thing I have experienced on this course is being able to assist mothers and their partners to deliver their beautiful babies into this world! This coincides with caring for them in general in all aspects of midwifery and being able to make (if only a small) difference to the care they receive.

"I also case-loaded a lady during my second year at university who was pregnant with her second baby – a special moment because I also delivered her first baby in my first year! It was lovely caring for her throughout her pregnancy where I also managed to 'catch' her second baby too and see her postnatally.

"I have been on placement at Worthing hospital where I spend most of my time on the labour ward or on the antenatal/postnatal ward. We are also able to practice in the community where we undertake clinics for women’s antenatal appointments and then see them at home with their babies for their postnatal visits. Alongside this, we have been able to work in the Special Care Baby Unit, Theatres and Gynaecology as part of our non-midwifery placements which were very interesting.

"The teaching staff have all been amazing. There are all very supportive; especially a few who I know I am able to contact if I have any concerns or questions about placement, studies, or life in general.

"My cohort is lovely – there is a mixture of characters, ages and personalities which makes classes fun and I feel able to engage in lessons and participate because they are all very supportive. I have made some lifelong friends who I will make sure I stay in contact with for as long as I can."

Amber Bathurst Health Sciences student

Danni Page

"I’ve always wanted to have a career in healthcare and midwifery was really appealing, as I was really interested in developmental science and being able to practically apply my knowledge to work.

"At the university we have a home birth and hospital simulation room. There is a dummy who can give birth and lots of pelvises that we use to visualise birth and emergencies, such as shoulder dystocia and breech birth. We get to practice with all of these before putting them into practice on placement.

"I have most enjoyed the practical placements, because you get to put your knowledge into perspective, and I love getting to work with the women and their families. There’s something so special about case-loading a lady from her first booking appointment to her delivery.

"At the start you are mainly observatory, and you are given some roles like doing the woman’s obs and then as you progress through the course, you’re given more responsibility. Placements have been great; you learn so much in a short space of time and they are brilliant for boosting your confidence.

"You get to attend home births as well and these are very special moments to be involved in. You do get a lot of experience really quickly, the more involved you want to be the more involved they will let you be. I remember I delivered the second baby I saw being birthed, it was an amazing experience and so surreal

"I’ve also been out with the ambulance service, to a substance misuse clinic, mental health clinic and to BPAS. We get to have a week on the gynae ward, special care baby unit and theatres. I was also really lucky and managed to do a placement abroad in Zambia. All these opportunities have been eye-opening and helped widen my perspective of midwifery. Most of these opportunities I had to organise myself, but they were so worthwhile. It’s a great way to look at other specialities and to see where midwifery can lead onto.

"The teaching staff have been very supportive throughout the course. I did a degree before and the contrast in the support given has been starkly different. All the staff are happy to help, and you constantly feel like you can get guidance either for a practical problem or for issues with essays.

"There are lots of different characters in our cohort and we’ve all come from different backgrounds. The age range in the course is really different, with some people coming straight from school and others starting midwifery in their 50s. We all have different outlooks and reasons for being on the course and it can be so refreshing speaking to different people and finding out how they are getting on."

Student Danni Page on placement in Zambia

Danni, kneeling at the front, with the colleagues she met on placement in Zambia

Jacqui Morris

"I wanted to study midwifery due to my own positive and negative experiences of maternity care when I had my own children.

"I chose the University of Brighton, partly due to location, but partly due to the positive experience I had when I visited on one of the open days. The staff and students that I met on the open day were very friendly and very helpful and answered all of my questions. It was my first-choice university when I applied to UCAS.

"During my training, I have spent time working with community midwives and am lucky to have delivered babies within the home setting. I have also worked on a postnatal ward and labour ward. In year two, I had experience of working on the gynae ward, in general theatres and on the special care baby unit. You have to put yourself out there to experience as much as you can during your training and it's really beneficial to learning when you do that.

"The course facilities are good and the staff are very approachable and very friendly. We learn in classrooms rather than lecture theatres and have access to skills rooms and learning materials when we need them. The library is well stocked and you can pick up library books from any campus.

"It will test all your emotions over the three years, both on placement and at uni. It’s the hardest but the most rewarding thing you shall ever do."

Jacqui Morris, Midwifery student

Stay in touch

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

 

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Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

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Course specification

Course specifications are the approved description of each course. They contain a breakdown of the content and structure of the course, learning outcomes and assessment. Course specs are updated following course changes.

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