Program Overview

International Foundation Year in Health Science

The International Foundation Year in Health Science is a preparatory academic programme designed for international students aspiring to pursue undergraduate degrees in a field of health science.

This foundation year equips students with essential knowledge and skills in subjects such as biology, mathematics, and English for academic purposes. You will study core modules, which are general skills subjects, and specialised modules tailored to your chosen area of study, all of which are important for your academic development.

Upon successful completion and achieving the required grades, students are well-prepared to enter a range of degrees in fields related to health science, such as nursing, physiotherapy, sports science and podiatry.

Leading to: Midwifery Studies BSc (Hons)

In communities everywhere, it’s a basic human right of every single woman, baby and family to experience the best and safest care possible during pregnancy, birth and postnatally (NMC, 2021). Our Midwifery Studies degree is designed to help you to deliver this care, in partnership with women and families, and the wider multidisciplinary team. During the three years, you'll be guided to become a competent, confident and autonomous practitioner. This will involve a blend of on-campus taught theory, clinical skills simulation and real-world clinical practice, working alongside NHS midwives and other maternity health professionals.Learning from experienced midwives and gaining real-world experience in a variety of healthcare settings, you’ll be able to prepare to make a difference in the lives of women and their families.

• The course is designed by midwives for midwives and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• You’ll undertake clinical placements throughout the course in a range of settings including birth centres, midwife-led units, labour suites, antenatal/postnatal wards, as well as in the community.
• We’ll help you learn how to provide individualised care for the mother and baby throughout pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the early days of parenthood.
• You’ll be encouraged to build your communication and interpersonal skills alongside the theoretical and practical learning.

Many different cultural, social and health-related influences affect child-bearing women. On this course, we know just how important it is for student midwives to learn about midwifery in context, to gain a broad perspective on the delivery of care and to be supported by enthusiastic lecturers who know exactly what it’s like to be a midwife. Throughout the course you’ll have the opportunity to build excellent knowledge of the theory of midwifery. Across all areas of teaching, we focus on the promotion of normality, health and the safe management of pregnancy, to ensure the best possible outcomes for parents and the newborn.

We are proud to be one of only four universities and the only one in the north of England that offer two intakes each year onto our Midwifery BSc(Hons) course. We work closely with the NHS workforce planning teams to help meet their recruitment demands, and having two intakes onto the course results in qualified midwifes graduating in both the spring and autumn months.

Choosing when to start your Midwifery degree will depend on individual circumstances, what suits one-person may not suit another. In terms of course content, placements, support available, etc everything remains the same. We have approximately 60 places available for those that wish to start in September and approximately 40 for those wishing to start in March. Therefore, for those that want to be a part of a larger group you may prefer to start in September and for those that feel more comfortable in a smaller group you may prefer to start in March. You’ll need to indicate when you would like to start on your UCAS application.