Course description

This course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and fully reflects the NMC (2019) Standards for Pre-registration Midwifery Programmes and Standards of Proficiency for Midwives from September 2020 entry. Details on this page describe the course as studied by all intakes of student midwives from September 2020.

The NHS needs midwives. Midwives work in a range of roles and settings which need effective leadership. We are currently the only university in the UK offering a pre-registration midwifery degree with an integrated leadership component.

This unique School of Healthcare degree draws on the experience and expertise of more than 40 years of health education at the University of Leicester, partnerships with regional NHS trusts, as well as the expertise of our School of Business.

By putting leadership at the heart of the curriculum, we give you all the tools you need to qualify as a registered midwife - and also to progress further in the midwifery profession. Throughout your degree you will be offered mentoring by experienced academics and clinicians with national and international reputations, as well as leaders in the midwifery profession and the wider NHS.

Whilst at Leicester, you will study and work within our superb facilities, which include a state-of-the-art clinical skills unit with high-tech simulated mannequins to enable you to practise procedures in a safe environment. You'll even have lectures in Leicester Medical School's anatomy dissection room and gain experience supporting mothers with feeding their babies in our newly established Infant Feeding Café.

However, practical real-world experience is a vital part of your training. You will spend 50% of your studies on placements, working alongside experienced midwives and the multi-professional team. Through these, you will develop your knowledge, skills and professional values to become a safe, proficient and confident midwife.

Our delivery of exceptional teaching and student support was reflected in our National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 results, where we were ranked in the top 20 in subjects aligned to midwifery for ‘Teaching on my course’ and ‘Academic support’ (according to Times Higher Education NSS 2023 methodology applied to the NSS 2024 data).

The 2024 NSS comprised 27 core questions covering academic experience, teaching and assessments, and well-being services. It is completed by almost 346,000 final year students in the UK and gives feedback on their university experience.

This undergraduate Masters degree lasts four years, at the end of which there will be employment opportunities as a midwife in the local NHS.

Students on this course are eligible for a grant of at least £5,000 a year, which you do not need to pay back.

This course is part of the Higher Education Pathway for Armed Forces project, which recognises the qualifications, skills and experience of ex-armed forces personnel.

Student Learning Contract

As part of the offer for a place on this course all students are required to agree to abide by the conditions of a Student Learning Contract, which you will be asked to sign during the induction week at the beginning of the course. This learning contract will apply to the entire duration of the course and the signed copy will be stored as a PDF on your University electronic record.

Entry requirements

Related courses

Sustainable Development Goals

We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• Goal 1: No poverty
• Goal 2: Zero hunger
• Goal 3: Health and well-being
• Goal 4: Quality education
• Goal 5: Gender equality
• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation
• Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
• Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
• Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
• Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
• Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
• Goal 13: Climate action
• Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong institutions
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals

Find out more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Placement

As a student midwife at the University of Leicester, hands-on experience is integral to your education programme; you will spend 50% of your studies working on placements, which equates to 2,400 hours, over the four years of study. Your placement specification adheres to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for pre-registration midwifery programmes. The NMC is the recognised Professional Statutory Regulatory Body for nurses and midwives across the UK.

During your placement

Whilst on placement, you will develop all the practical skills necessary to gain entry to the professional register and become a practising midwife. With a variety of day and night shift rotations throughout the placement, you will work alongside sector-leading professionals, gaining vital on-the-job experience. You will be supervised by midwives and other registered health care professionals who will support your ongoing development and progression on the course.

You will translate theoretical knowledge into real-life understanding in caring for childbearing women/people, neonates, and their families. As well as putting theory into practice, you will develop your interpersonal skills and professional values alongside leadership skills to become a safe, proficient and confident midwife.

Additional financial support whilst on placement

For placements outside Leicester, UK students are entitled to reimbursement from the NHS Learning Support Fund for some of the additional costs of attending, including travel expenses and accommodation. Please note this is not available for international students.

Year one

You will experience placements in a hospital from the very beginning of your course, based within maternity services, which includes the following areas:

• Community; GP surgeries, health centres, local children’s centres, stand-alone birth centres and within the home setting
• Antenatal and postnatal wards
• Birthing units

Year two

In your second year, you will gain the opportunity to attend a variety of placements across healthcare services, in areas such as maternity (antenatal, postnatal and community), neonatal, gynaecology, homebirth, and perinatal mental health and health visiting.

Year three

During your third year, you will attend placements within maternity but you will also have the opportunity to attend a leadership elective/internship placement either based in the UK or overseas. These placements are negotiated with the programme team, based on your specific interests and are to enhance your understanding of leadership within a clinical, education, management, or research setting. Planned placements will include experience within antenatal care, working with specialist midwives and in the birthing setting.

Year four

All placements in your fourth year will be in maternity. This will include areas within the community, the antenatal and postnatal ward and in birthing settings.

Placement area

Placement areas are grouped by NHS providers, which are listed below; this means your placements will be across different sites to offer you variety and every opportunity to meet the NMC programme standards and proficiencies. We continue to explore and expand new placement opportunities, so the below list may be subject to change during the course of your studies:*

• University Hospitals of Leicester (includes Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital and St Mary’s Birth Centre sites in Melton Mowbray)
• Leicester Partnership Trust
• University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
• Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (includes Peterborough and Cambridge sites)
• Care Fertility (private fertility clinic across several sites throughout England)

*for more information, please contact midwifery@le.ac.uk.

Testimonals

Destiney reflects on her elective placement in Tanzania

“…this elective placement was important because it taught me about an adaptive leadership style that was required by the midwives practising in a resource-limited setting. I enjoyed learning about the different cultural traditions surrounding childbirth and motherhood. The “mamas” were very welcoming. I enjoyed being an additional support for the “mamas” in labour as birth partners are not common and it is not common culture for the midwives to stay with the women before the imminent time of birth”. 

Holly and Georgia discuss their case holding experiences

“Caseholding in the second year was a wonderful experience where I had the opportunity to really develop my skills and even lead most of the appointments! I formed such amazing relationships with the women and their families and got to witness 2 incredible births. The continuity of care I was able to provide meant I could advocate for the women and was overall such a brilliant experience” Holly

“…you feel a lot more involved and gain more responsibilities as you enhance your midwifery and leadership skills. Providing continuity was so valued by the women in my caseloads, and I was also fortunate to facilitate their births, which I’ll never forget!” Georgia

Selena was nominated in the Royal College of Midwives 2023 Annual Awards in the Unsung Hero category for support workers or students from a Black, Asian or ethnic background.  Selena also contributed to the RCM’s Decolonising Midwifery Education Toolkit

 “I was able to speak about the toolkit at the RCM’s recent Education and Research conference and although it was daunting, it was such an amazing opportunity. It was a lovely surprise to be nominated – I feel incredibly proud. Being there at the start of someone’s life journey is extremely rewarding.”