Bachelor of Midwifery (Mount Gambier)

Study midwifery online and complete your intensive clinical workshops at UniSA’s state-of-the-art Mount Gambier Learning Centre.

This degree will provide you with the practical skills and knowledge needed to provide care, support and advice to women during pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatally.

There is a strong focus on theory and practical experience, and you will do much of your learning in our unique clinician led, authentic simulated hospital and health service on campus.

This simulated hospital environment, known as the Horizon Hospital and Health Service (HHHS) – the only one of its kind in South Australia.

You will learn in midwifery facilities modelled on the local hospital in Mount Gambier, providing you with excellent learning opportunities.

You will then have the opportunity to further develop these skills when you embark on real-world clinical placements across metropolitan, regional and rural hospitals and health services.

Under the supervision of registered midwives, you will follow women during pregnancy and birth journeys.

Additionally, you may have the opportunity to study a portion of your degree internationally, with an overseas placement during your third year of study.

For registered nurses:

Registered Nurses (RNs) entering this degree may be granted 49.5 units of credit.

These requirements are detailed within the What courses you’ll study section of this page.

For previously registered midwives:

Designed for midwives who have not practiced for between five and ten years, this degree has a pathway to fulfill the re-entry practice requirements.

What you'll need Students who undertake activities where interaction with women/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements.

These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements.

Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

On entry to the qualification you will be required to confirm that you meet the ‘Fitness to Practice in Clinical Placements’ requirements.

All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant National Board.

The registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program.

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent AND

• Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
• Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE, or
• Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points

Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

Recent secondary education ATAR profile

OR Higher education study

• Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or
• Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above

OR Vocational Education and Training (VET)

• Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Advanced Diploma level or above

OR Work and life experience

• Qualify for Special Entry, or
• Complete a UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or
• Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past

Essential requirements for admission

Prerequisites

Assumed Knowledge

Students who undertake activities where interaction with women/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements. These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements. Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists. On entry to the qualification you will be required to confirm that you meet the ‘Fitness to Practice in Clinical Placements’ requirements.

All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant National Board. The registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program.

Midwifery is an international profession and birthing practices are different all over the world. A focus of this degree is on addressing the political, socio-cultural, economic and technological influences on midwifery practices. The legal and ethical responsibilities of midwives are also explored.

There is a strong focus on theory and practical experience, and you will do much of your learning in our unique clinician-led, authentic simulated hospital and health service on campus. Here you will have the opportunity to practice your skills through real-life scenarios and feel confidently prepared for clinical practice. This simulated hospital environment fully led by practicing registered nurses and midwives (clinicians), known as the Horizon Hospital and Health Service (HHHS), is the only one of its kind in South Australia.

You will then be given the opportunity to further develop these skills when you embark on real-world clinical placements across metropolitan, regional and rural hospitals and health services, under the supervision of registered midwives. During these placements you will be actively involved in a minimum of 30 normal births, and in the pre and post-birth care of at least 100 women. You will also follow 15 women through their pregnancy and birth journeys through Continuity Of Care Experiences (COCE).

All students will need to complete clinical placements in South Australia, and they must be completed on a full-time basis.

In addition, you may have the opportunity to study a portion of your degree internationally, with an overseas placement during your third year of study.

For each course you study, you will need to allocate time for various classes such as lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Plus you will need additional hours to study in your own time to complete assignments, readings and projects and contribute to online discussion forums (independent study). So as a general rule, if you are studying full-time you would need to allocate on average 40 hours per week.

Your studies will incorporate practical, professionally-focused and research-based learning, so assessment types will vary. You can expect them to include:

As a student, you will benefit from our strong industry links. You will learn from experienced clinicians, including registered midwives both on campus and when you complete clinical placements as part of your study, in settings including home visits, community clinics and maternity hospitals.

These placements provide you with the opportunity to practice your clinical skills, implement your knowledge into practice, learn from industry-experienced professionals in the field, and build valuable networks and relationships. You will also engage in Continuity Of Care Experiences (COCE) where you follow women through their pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal journeys.

We also host regular university-wide employee master classes and employment expos, and alumni events in Australia and overseas.

Your career

Midwives are the primary maternity care providers in Australia, providing care, support and advice to women during pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatally. They play an important role in the promotion of normal birth, which includes screening, assessments, detection of complications, and providing emergency care to both the woman and her baby in collaboration with other health professionals. Midwives play a significant role in health education such as family planning, preparing for birth, parenting and infant care.

Registered midwives can work in a wide variety of healthcare settings, such as:

• community and hospital services
• rural and remote healthcare
• home-based services
• health agencies.

As a Midwife, you may also have the opportunity to undertake further study in the areas of research with a Masters by Research or strengthen your supervisory skills with a Graduate Certificate in Health Science (Clinical Education) or Professional Certificate in Practice Education. Other options are the Graduate Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health and the Master of Midwifery.

Graduates may complete the Transition to Professional Practice Program with a participating employer.

Applying to study with us:

• go to the top of this page and make note of the SATAC code, then click Apply
• you will be redirected through to the SATAC website to continue your application

If you are a Registered Nurse looking to study this degree, you may be interested in our Registered Nursing pathway option. This option is available from the following three campuses:

• UniSA City East campus: This option allows you to study on-campus (internal) or online (external). Please note, online students will still need to come on-campus for intensive clinical workshops. Please see the degree info at top of this page for the internal and external SATAC codes.
• UniSA Mount Gambier campus: Please see the degree info at the top of this page for the SATAC code, where you will complete your studies online (external) and attend intensive clinical workshops on-campus.
• UniSA Whyalla campus: Please see the degree info at the top of this page for the external SATAC code which is the one required for Whyalla applications, where you will complete your studies online (external) and attend intensive clinical workshops on-campus.

If you are a midwife who has not practiced between five and ten years and have received confirmation from AHPRA that you are eligible to apply for a re-entry to practice program, you may wish to consider the Bachelor of Midwifery re-entry pathway. If you wish to apply to this pathway you will be required to complete a specific program of study (12 months full-time equivalent), that can be completed on-campus or online, although online students will come on-campus to attend intensive clinical workshops. Please follow the above steps via SATAC, and additionally email midwifery.enquiries@unisa.edu.au to advise us of your application, noting this pathway.

Our campuses have fantastic facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments. But you’ll also discover that your journey at UniSA is about social experiences, healthy living and getting involved. Our Mount Gambier Learning Centre features state-of-the-art facilities and study spaces, including the very latest in information and communications technology, so you can quickly access resources online. There are campus sport activities to keep you active, and if you are keen to explore the social side of university life, there are movies, cooking demonstrations, parties and loads more.

Our student support services will make your life at university easier. We want you to be successful, and if you need help, we're here to assist. We provide a full range of support services, including:

• academic counselling
• personal counselling
• social support services, including family support and nearby childcare

We have six campuses in metropolitan and regional areas, each with advanced facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments.

The Horizon Hospital and Health Service (HHHS) is a fully equipped, state-of-the-art clinical learning environment fully led by practising registered nurses and midwives (clinicians) and populated by the women and their families who live in our Horizon City and Community – a virtual health community, which is the only one of its kind in South Australia. It is designed to facilitate, enhance and support your understanding of real-world midwifery practice. The women of Horizon are interactive manikins, including birthing manikins who can be programmed to simulate a range of birth scenarios, and real people acting as family members. They each have their own personal stories, relationships and health histories, along with pregnancy care records. This will complement your off-campus clinical placements throughout your degree.