Midwifery (BSc)

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Southampton

Program Overview

The BSc Midwifery at the University of Southampton is designed for students who want to support women and families through pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood with confidence and compassion. It blends strong scientific understanding with hands-on clinical experience, preparing you to become a skilled, reflective, and professional midwife ready for modern healthcare settings.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1
In your first year, you’ll build a solid foundation in midwifery practice and the science behind pregnancy and birth. Core modules such as Foundations of Midwifery Practice, Applied Physiology for Midwifery, and Professional Practice 1 introduce you to woman-centred care while helping you develop essential clinical and communication skills through early placement experiences.

Year 2
The second year deepens your understanding of normal and complex maternity care, linking theory more closely with real clinical decision-making. Through modules like Midwifery Practice and the Public Health Agenda, Evidence-Based Practice, and Professional Practice 2, you’ll learn to support diverse families, manage risk, and use research to guide safe, effective care in clinical settings.

Year 3
In your final year, the focus shifts to leadership, autonomy, and readiness for professional practice. Modules such as Leadership and Collaborative Practice, Complex Midwifery Care, and Professional Practice 3 help you refine your clinical judgement, manage complex situations, and transition confidently into your role as a newly qualified midwife.

Focus Areas

Woman-centred maternity care, normal and complex childbirth, public health in midwifery, clinical decision-making, leadership in healthcare, evidence-based practice.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates develop the knowledge, clinical competence, professional confidence, and ethical judgement needed to provide safe, compassionate midwifery care and work effectively within multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

This program is professionally approved, allowing graduates to meet the requirements for registration as a midwife in the UK.

Reputation (Employability)

The University of Southampton is widely recognised for its strong health sciences education, excellent clinical partnerships, and high graduate employability, giving midwifery students a respected qualification and strong career prospects after graduation.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Experiential learning is at the heart of the BSc Midwifery at the University of Southampton, giving you plenty of opportunities to turn theory into confident, real-world practice. From early on, you’ll spend a significant part of your degree in supervised clinical placements, supported by high-quality simulation facilities that let you practise skills safely before applying them in real maternity settings. This balance ensures you graduate feeling capable, prepared, and confident in your role.

This hands-on approach comes to life through a range of purpose-built facilities and structured experiences, including:

Extensive NHS clinical placements across maternity units, community midwifery services, and specialist settings, allowing you to work with diverse populations and real care teams.
Clinical simulation suites that replicate real birthing rooms, where you practise scenarios such as labour support, emergency situations, and neonatal care using advanced simulation equipment.
Skills laboratories designed for midwifery and healthcare students, helping you build competence in examinations, clinical procedures, and communication before placement.
Interprofessional learning activities, where you work alongside students from nursing, medicine, and other health disciplines to reflect real multidisciplinary healthcare practice.
Structured practice modules integrated into every year of the course, ensuring continuous development of clinical skills and professional confidence.
Access to specialist health sciences libraries and learning spaces, supporting research, reflection, and evidence-based practice throughout your studies.

Together, these experiences ensure that by the time you qualify, you’ve not only learned midwifery—you’ve lived it, practised it, and are ready to step smoothly into professional practice.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the BSc Midwifery at the University of Southampton move into rewarding, people-focused careers where they make a real difference every day. Most students transition smoothly into professional practice soon after graduating, with many securing roles within NHS trusts they trained with. Typical career paths include Registered Midwife, Community Midwife, Labour Ward Midwife, and Specialist Midwife roles in areas such as public health or safeguarding.

The university supports your journey from student to professional through strong employability preparation and recognised training pathways, including:

Dedicated careers and employability support, offering interview preparation, CV guidance, and career planning tailored specifically for health and care students.
Strong NHS partnerships across local and regional trusts, helping students build professional networks and often leading directly to graduate employment.
Excellent graduate employment outcomes, with midwifery graduates in high demand across the UK healthcare system due to national workforce needs.
Professional accreditation, enabling graduates to register and practise as qualified midwives, giving long-term career security and mobility.
Consistently positive graduate outcomes, reflecting the university’s strong reputation for producing confident, practice-ready healthcare professionals.

Further Academic Progression:

After qualifying, graduates can continue to develop their expertise through postgraduate study, such as specialist midwifery training, leadership and management courses, or research-focused master’s degrees. Many midwives also progress into advanced clinical practice, education, research, or leadership roles, allowing for long-term career growth and specialisation within maternity and women’s health services.