Bachelor of Science in Midwifery

Key information
About the course
What you will study
Entry requirements
How to apply
Fees and funding
Your future career

Bachelor of Science in Midwifery
NFQ Level 8 major Award Honours Bachelor Degree

Apply now for September

CAO points history:

469 †

Course code:

LM156

Duration:

4 Years

Fees: See what fees may apply to students
Subject area: Health Sciences

Course leader:

Jan McCarthy

Email:

jan.mccarthy@ul.ie

Tel:

00 353 (0)61 234253

Admissions:
Tel: 00 353 61 202015
Queries: www.ul.ie/admissions-askus

Work experience Scholarships

Download our prospectus

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Are you interested in providing a vital, caring service to women and the community during the life-changing event of childbirth? Have you got good observation and communication skills? Do you like applying your learning in practice? Are you willing to learn, practise and take on the responsibilities in providing skilled midwifery care? If so, then this course might suit you.

Why Study Midwifery at UL?

The BSc Midwifery course will prepare you to become a competent midwife who is sensitive to the needs of pregnant women and their families. The course leads to registration as a midwife (R.M.)

The word ‘midwife’ means being with women. A midwife gives care and support to women and their families during pregnancy, labour, birth and to new mothers and their babies. Today’s midwife is responsive to the socio-economic, cultural, educational, physical and psychological needs of women.

This course is full-time with practice placements currently in the University of Limerick Hospital Group, and in the maternity services of Waterford Regional Hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital Clonmel and St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny. You will learn about midwifery based on a wellness model of women-centred care. The course will give you the knowledge and skills of normal midwifery care. It includes the study of physiology, sociology, research, management, law and ethics. A midwife recognises and initiates action when deviations from normal occur. As this course leads to academic and professional qualifications, students will need to put time and effort into study.

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Read about our students experiences

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What you will study

This is a four-year programme with a balance between student time in UL, and midwifery practice, as follows:

69 weeks Theory (minimum)
45 weeks un-rostered Clinical Placement
36 weeks Internship

The University offers a number of access places on all University courses for socio-economically disadvantaged students. Financial documentation in support of each application is required. Potential applicants should make advance contact with the UL Access Office - telephone 061 213104.

Midwifery is a demanding profession both physically and emotionally. Successful applicants must be of good physical and mental health and have the ability to achieve the required competencies of a midwife. Offers of places on the midwifery programmes are subject to satisfactory completion of Garda Vetting & Health Screening, including vaccination. This will be organised by the Department of Nursing and Midwifery. Prospective students should be aware that there is likely to be a cost implication to be borne by the student for health screening and vaccination.

To find out more, go to www.ul.ie/nm

Year 1

CODE	SEMESTER 1	CODE	SEMESTER 2	SUMMER
NM4131	Shared Module: Promoting Safety within a Healthcare Context	NM4182	Practice Placement Midwifery 1
NS4121	Shared Module: Foundations for Engaged Learning	NM4092	Shared Module: Introduction to Health and Health Promotion
NM4191	Introduction to Midwifery	NM4192	Midwifery Care in Childbirth
NM4231	Midwifery Care in Pregnancy	NM4152	Shared Module: Biological Sciences applied to Nursing & Midwifery 2
NM4151	Shared Module: Biological Sciences applied to Nursing & Midwifery 1	PS4062	Shared Module: Introduction to Psychology applied to Nursing and Midwifery
NM4161	Shared Module: Communication and interpersonal Relationships in Nursing & Midwifery

Year 2

Year 2	Semester 3		Semester 4	Summer
NM4232	Practice Placement Midwifery 2	NM4524	Practice Placement Midwifery 3
NM4253	Midwifery Care for the Postnatal Mother, Baby and Family	NM4264	Responding to Complex Needs During Pregnancy
NM4242	Maternal and Infant Nutrition	NM4284	Reproductive Health & Wellbeing
NM4173	Shared Module: Biological Sciences applied to Nursing & Midwifery 3	NM4104	Shared Module: Law and Ethics for Nursing and Midwifery Practice
NM4183	Shared Module: Principles of Infection Prevention & Control for Nurses and Midwives	S04014	Shared Module Sociology of Health and Illness for Nursing and Midwifery
NM4022	Shared Module: Pharmacology for Nurses and Midwives	NM4274	Obstetric Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth
		NM4135	Practice Placement Midwifery 4

Year 3

Year 3	Semester 5		Semester 6	Summer
NM4145	Practice Placement Midwifery 5	NM4155	Contemporary Midwife Practitioner
		NM4086	Shared Module: Research and Evidence in Healthcare
		NM4136	Responding to Complex Needs in the Postnatal Period
		NM4146	Responding to complex Needs of the At Risk and Ill Neonate
		NM4116	Shared Module: Transition towards a Competent Practitioner

Year 4

Year 4	Semester 7		Semester 8	Summer
NM4117	Practice Placement Midwifery 6	NM4088	Practice Placement Midwifery 7
NM4067	Shared Module: Practice Research Project	NM4098	Practice Placement Midwifery 8
NM4077	Shared Module : Leading and Managing in Quality Practice
NM4127	Consolidating Midwifery Practice

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Entry requirements

CAO points history	469
Minimum grades	Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with a minimum of six subjects which must include: Two H5 (Higher level) grades and Four O6 (Ordinary level) grades or four H7 (Higher Level) grades. Subjects must include Mathematics, Irish or another language, and English.
Subject requirements	In addition applicants must hold an O6/ H7 grade in one of the following Laboratory Science subjects: Biology; Physics, Chemistry; Physics and Chemistry; or Agricultural Science.
Additional considerations	QQI Entry Certain QQI Awards are acceptable in fulfilling admission requirements for this programme. Go to the UL Admissions QQI page for a full list of modules. Mature Students Application information for mature student applicants (PDF) Applicants who wish to be considered for a place on the grounds of mature years must satisfy the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) as to their suitability by means of an assessment test. Mature applicants should be 23 years old on or before January 1st of the year of enrolment. Mature applicants must apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February. In addition to the CAO application, applicants must also register and apply through the PAS website www.publicjobs.ie This is required as PAS undertakes the written assessment on behalf of the NCC. Mature applicants may also be considered on the basis of educational qualifications. Such applicants should also consult the booklet: Nursing and Midwifery A Career for You, published by the Nursing Careers Centre, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland Tel +353 (0)1 6398500 www.nursingcareers.ie Offers of places on the midwifery programmes are subject to the satisfactory completion of a health declaration/medical assessment and vaccination programme. † Indicates that students admitted to the programme are required to undergo a Garda Vetting process.

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Fees & funding

Student course fees are broken into three components - Student contribution, Student Centre Levy and Tuition Fees.

A number of illustrative examples of fees for this course based on the current fee levels have been set out in the tables below.

An explanation of the components, how to determine status and the criteria involved is provided below the examples as is a list of possible scholarships and funding available.

EU Students with Free fees status in receipt of a SUSI grant

HEA pays	Tuition Fees	€4,106
SUSI pays	Student contribution	€3,000
Student pays	Student Centre Levy	€92
		€7,198

EU Students with Free fees status not in receipt of a grant

HEA pays	Tuition Fees	€4,106
Student pays	Student contribution	€3,000
Student pays	Student Centre Levy	€92
		€7,198

Students with EU fee status not in receipt of a grant

Student pays	Tuition Fees	€4,106
Student pays	Student contribution	€3,000
Student pays	Student Centre Levy	€92
		€7,198

Non-EU Students

Student pays	Tuition Fees	€24,627
Student pays	Student Centre Levy	€92
		€24,719

Student course fees are comprised of three components:

Student Contribution

Annual charge set by the government for all full-time third level students. All students are liable unless they have been approved for a grant by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please refer to https://www.studentfinance.ie to determine your eligibility for a grant and for instructions on how to apply. The curent student contribution is set at €3000.

Student Centre Levy

All students are liable to pay the Student Centre Levy of €90. Please note the Student Centre Levy is not covered by the SUSI Grant.

Tuition Fees

These are based on Residency, Citizenship, Course requirements.

Review the three groups of criteria to determine your fee status as follows

Residency
- You must have been living in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course
Citizenship
- You must be a citizen of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland or have official refugee status
Course Requirements (all must be met)
- You must be a first time full-time undergraduate (Exceptions are provided for students who hold a Level 6 or Level 7 qualification and are progressing to a Level 8 course in the same general area of study).
- You must be undertaking a full-time undergraduate course of at least 2 year’s duration
- You cannot be undertaking a repeat year of study at the same level unless evidence of exceptional circumstances eg serious illness is provided (in which case this condition may be waived)

Depending on how you meet these criteria your status will be one of the following -

Free Fee Status: You satisfy all three categories (1, 2 and 3) and therefore are eligible for the Higher Education Authority’s Free Fees scheme.
EU Fee Status: You satisfy the citizenship and/or residency criteria but fail to satisfy the course requirements and are liable to EU fees
Non EU Fee Status: You do not meet either the citizenship or residency criteria and are therefore liable to Non EU fees.

More information about fees can be found on the Finance website

These scholarships are available for all courses

Title	Award	Scholarships available
Johnson and Johnson WiSTEM2D Programme	Individual Award - a bursary to the value of €2000. Team Project Grant - €1750	1 of each
Plassey Campus Centre Scholarship Programme
All Ireland Scholarships - sponsored by J.P. McManus	€6,750	125
Higher Education Grants & VEC Grants
Financial Aid Fund
Elaine Fagan Scholarship	€5,000	5
Stuart Mangan Scholarship
Provincial GAA Bursaries Scheme	€750
The Michael Hillery and Jacinta O’Brien Athletics Scholarship	Various benefits equating to over €7,000 in value
Paddy Dooley Rowing Scholarship	€2,500
UL Sports Scholarships	Varies depending on level of Scholarship	Multiple
Cooperative Education Award		1 award per faculty
UL 40 Entrance Scholarship	€2,000	40

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Your future career

Employability skills from this degree

Utilising research and evidence-based practice
Problem-solving and decision-making
Working in partnership with different disciplines Professional responsibility and accountability
Collaboration and teamwork

Compassion
Leadership
Determination and tenacity
Empathy
Flexibility and adaptability
Organisational skills and time management

The year after graduating with this degree

The University of Limerick Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) is a detailed review of the employment outcomes of UL graduates conducted annually by the University and supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). The survey forms part of a nationwide review of the employment outcomes of Irish University Graduates. The table below illustrates a five-year trend for UL graduate employment levels and location the year after graduation.

Employed in Ireland	Employed abroad	Further study	Not available	Seeking employment	No. of responses	Total no. of graduates	Year
83%	11%	0%	0%	6%	18	18	2014
100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	12	16	2015
82%	9%	0%	9%	0%	11	13	2016
100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	9	18	2017
86%	14%	0%	0%	0%	7	13	2018

Further Study Options

Job titles for graduates with this degree

Graduates progressing directly into employment take up a wide variety of roles. The following provides a sample of initial roles listed on the Graduate Outcomes Survey by graduates approximately one year after graduation:

Midwife
Maternity Nurse

Graduate Profile - Sandra Healy

The maternity unit in which I work is a 30- bed antenatal/postnatal unit with 3 labour wards and an admission area. My day will involve providing essential midwifery care to women and their babies but also dealing with any emergencies that may arise. Health promotion & health education regarding baby-care, infant feeding, diet, family planning etc. also form part of my care for women on a daily basis.

Working in the labour ward involves caring, supporting & assessing the well-being of both mother and baby throughout the birth. As a student midwife, you will participate in care, under supervision, from your very first clinical placement. By the end of my first semester at UL, I was on a placement in the maternity labour ward where on the first day I witnessed a woman giving birth. With the help of my supervising midwife, I also supported another woman to give birth.

UL was my first choice to pursue a degree in midwifery. The variety of facilities at UL also appealed to me with a new, modern Health Sciences Building incorporating state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment.

For me, being a midwife is primarily about developing relationships with pregnant women and their families at every stage of their contact with the maternity services. If you like working and interacting with people in a dynamic environment then this is definitely a career for you - it will bring you a wonderful sense of fulfilment and achievement.

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