Master of Midwifery

What is this course about?

The Master of Midwifery prepares graduates for leadership roles in their profession.

The aim of the course is to:

• enable Registered Midwives (RMs) to develop innovative midwifery models of care
• equip RMs to work to their full scope of practice
• develop a RM workforce which will prevent the closure of maternity units in rural areas and reopen many that have closed
• offer RMs living in rural and remote areas the opportunity to study at Master level by distance education
• enhance the profile of midwifery
• educationally prepare experienced RMs to be confident and competent in their teaching and mentorship of tertiary level preregistration midwives.

Credit and articulation

Students entering the course with an undergraduate midwifery degree (or equivalent) and an additional related qualification, such as a Bachelor of Nursing, receive 24 points credit. An additional, maximum of eight points credit, is available for students enrolling with extra qualifications / experience such as the Lactation Consultant Certification or experience as a midwifery facilitator for midwifery students.

Students entering the course with CSU's Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery (or equivalent) receive 64 points credit.

CSU's Master of Midwifery articulates with the Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery, allowing students the option of exiting the Master degree after successful completion of 64 points and graduating with the Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery.

More information about credit and pathways.

Scholarships

Information on scholarships is available from the following sources:

• Nursing and Midwifery Board
• State Nurses Association
• State Midwives Association
• Royal College of Nursing Australia
• State Health Department
• Australian College of Midwives

More about Nursing and midwifery scholarships

Academic expectations

For each 8 point subject at CSU, students should normally expect to spend between 140-160 hours engaged in the specified learning and assessment activities (such as attending lectures or residential schools, assigned readings, tutorial assistance, individual or group research/study, forum activity, workplace learning, assignments or examinations). The student workload for some subjects may vary from these norms as a result of approved course design.

Students will be assessed on the basis of completed assignments, examinations, workplace learning, or other methods as outlined in specific subject outlines.

Where applicable, students are responsible for travel and accommodation costs involved in workplace learning experiences, or attending residential schools (distance education students).

Expectations relating to academic, workplace learning, time and cost requirements for specific subjects are provided in the subject abstracts and in course materials.

Course structure

The course structure comprises three components:

• Core midwifery subjects
• Core Masters' subjects
• Elective subjects.

There are five core midwifery subjects (40 points), two core research subjects (16 points) and elective subjects (40 points).

Core Midwifery subjects can be studied in any order but must include:

MID441 Midwifery Studies 1
MID442 Midwifery Studies 2
MID452 Issues in Midwifery
MID524 Midwifery Evidence, Connections and Complementary Therapies
MID525 Midwifery Models (only available in '90 sessions)

Core research subjects:

HLT505 Research Methods in Health A
HLT506 Health Masters Proposal

Students select 40 points from the following electives:

HLT402 Learning in the Health Context
HLT403 Clinical Learning Techniques
HLT404 Clinical Education Planning
HLT405 Issues in Clinical Education
HLT508 Health Masters' Project
HSM401 Perspectives in Health Care Systems
HSM402 Human Resources Management
HSM408 Current Issues in Health Service Management
HSM512 Evaluating Health Services
HSM409 Epidemiology and Public Health

Enrolment pattern

There are three typical student enrolment patterns:

• students entering the Master of Midwifery with a Bachelor of Midwifery and no other related undergraduate or postgraduate degree, are required to study 96 points. These points consist of five core midwifery subjects (40 points), two core Master subjects (16 points) and 40 points taken from elective subjects.
• students who are registered midwives and have the equivalent to a second undergraduate degree e.g. Bachelor of Nursing, are required to study 72 points. These points consist of five core midwifery subjects (40 points), two core Master subjects (16 points) and 16 points taken from elective subjects.
• students who enrol in the Master of Midwifery with a Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery are required to study 32 points. These points consist of two core Master subjects (16 points) and 16 points taken from elective subjects.

Students enrolling in the Master of Midwifery with a Bachelor of Midwifery

Session 1: '30

MID441 Midwifery Studies 1
MID452 Issues in Midwifery

Session 2: '60

MID442 Midwifery Studies 2
MID524 Midwifery evidence, connections and complementary therapies

Session 3: '90

MID525 Midwifery Models

Students may elect to exit the course at this stage, once four of the above five subjects have been successfully completed, with a Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery or continue.

Session 4: '30

HLT505 Research Methods in Health A
Elective

Session 5: '60

HLT506 Health Masters Proposal
Elective

Session 6: '30

Elective
Elective

Session 7: '60

Elective

Elective subjects to a total of 40 points are selected from the following:

HLT402 Learning in the Health Context
HLT403 Clinical Learning Techniques
HLT404 Clinical Education Planning
HLT405 Issues in Clinical Education
HSM401 Perspectives in Health Care Systems
HSM402 Human Resources Management
HSM408 Current Issues in Health Services Management
HSM512 Evaluating Health Services
HSM409 Epidemiology and Public Health
HLT508 Health Masters Project (16 points)

Registered midwives with the equivalent of a related second undergraduate degree e.g. Bachelor of Nursing.

Session 1: '30

MID441 Midwifery Studies 1
MID452 Issues in Midwifery

Session 2: '60

MID442 Midwifery Studies 2
MID524 Midwifery evidence, connections and complementary therapies

Session 3: '90

MID525 Midwifery Models

Students may elect to exit the course at this stage, once four of the above five subjects have been successfully completed, with a Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery or continue.

Session 4: '30

HLT505 Research Methods in Health A

Elective

Session 5: '60

The 5th core midwifery subject or Elective
HLT506 Health Masters Proposal

Students entering the Master of Midwifery with a Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery are individually determined on the basis of academic transcript.

Session 1

Either one midwifery subject or elective.
HLT505 Research methods in Health A

Session 2

HLT506 Health Masters' Proposal
Elective

Admission requirements

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree, diploma or equivalent in midwifery.

Students must have or be eligible to receive Authorisation to Practice as a Registered Midwife in Australia.

Where applicants have obtained their tertiary qualifications outside of Australia and are eligible to apply for registration as a midwife in Australia but English is not their first language, they will be required to meet the English Language Requirements of the Nurses and Midwives Board prior to enrolment. They must complete four International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic modules obtaining a minimum of 7 on each of the individual bands of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Internet access

CSU places great emphasis on services to its students. It is a leader in the provision of online services and, in particular, the use of the internet in the support of teaching, administration and communications with students.

The online environment is so integrated into all aspects of student life and the learning experience at CSU that the University now assumes that all on campus and distance education students at CSU will have ongoing access to an internet connected computer capable of communicating with CSU online systems.

Students enrolled in Information Technology subjects (i.e. with an ITC subject code) may be required to have additional hardware and/or software that is deemed essential for the completion of the learning activities in that subject.

fee-paying
international-distance

Apply now

This course is available to commence study in

Session 1; Session 2