Program Overview

Our midwifery programme is an innovative, popular and rewarding career. Our programme provides you with the skills and knowledge to become a registered midwife after 3 years and offering you the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives; a value that few other professions can offer.  

The role midwives play in preparing women for the delivery of new life makes them a vital presence during all stages of pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period. You’ll be the expert on childbirth and so your responsibilities are diverse. As a qualified midwife you’ll provide full antenatal care, identify, refer and co-ordinate the care for women with high-risk pregnancies, monitor all women and support them during labour and teach new mothers how to feed and care for their babies. You will be working with women from a variety of backgrounds so you will need to be confident enough to communicate and support different people in a variety of situations.

With 100% of our students satisfied with our course (UNISTATS) you will gain a comprehensive understanding in a supportive environment around both the science and art of midwifery. The science of midwifery includes biological principles, research, methods of inquiry, decision making, assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care. Whilst the art of midwifery focuses on communication and the approach to delivering care, encompassing genuine caring, respect, sensitivity, and valuing the uniqueness of individuals in a culturally diverse society. This will enable you to deliver high quality midwifery care in a rapidly changing environment.

You will be taught by motivated and knowledgeable lecturers in the field of midwifery who are influencing healthcare across Wales and beyond through engagement and research. This is demonstrated by our University being part of the only Collaborating Centre for the World Health Organisation in Europe focused exclusively on midwifery development.

You will specialise in midwifery from the start of the course and you will practice your skills in our clinical simulation suite which enables you to learn in a realistic midwifery ward with simulated mother and baby. These lifelike simulations mean you can safely practice and develop essential skills, developing your confidence and expertise before going out into placement.  

You will spend approximately 50% of your time on placement. We have close working relationships with two large service providers in South Wales and so your learning will take place both in hospitals and in the community in a range of environments, enhancing experience in caring for women from a variety of cultures with differing needs. You will benefit from placements supported by experienced midwife educators to help you in becoming the best midwife you can be. During your first year you will participate in the care of women in low risk environments such as community teams and midwifery led birth units. In your second year, the emphasis will move to high risk and complex care needs of mother and baby and placements will in the main be in obstetric led units. You will also experience placements in accident and emergency department, gynaecological wards and neonatal units. There is also an opportunity for you to undertake a placement learning opportunity in a different environment, either within the UK or overseas.