Midwifery

Midwifery is a profession centred on one of the most significant transitions in human life: the journey through pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of parenthood. Midwives provide care, advice, and support to women and birthing people from the first weeks of pregnancy through to the postnatal period, working in hospitals, birth centres, and the community. The role demands clinical competence, sound professional judgement, and the ability to build trusting relationships with women and their families at a time of profound physical and emotional significance.

At Birmingham City University, this three-year full-time degree prepares you to become a confident and compassionate midwife, with the health of the mother, baby, and family at the heart of the programme. You will study the physiology of pregnancy and childbirth, neonatal care, pharmacology, public health, safeguarding, and the professional and ethical frameworks that govern midwifery practice. Clinical placements are fundamental to the degree: you will spend substantial time working alongside qualified midwives in a variety of settings, developing the skills and clinical judgement that can only be built through direct experience of practice.

The combination of academic learning and clinical experience prepares you for the full complexity of the role.

You will develop the ability to assess, monitor, and support women through normal and complicated pregnancies and births, and to know when and how to involve other members of the healthcare team. Communication, empathy, and professional confidence are developed throughout.

Graduates who meet the required standards are eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as midwives. Career pathways include hospital and community midwifery, specialist roles in high-risk pregnancies, bereavement support, and practice education. Many midwives continue to postgraduate study for advanced clinical or leadership qualifications.