Bachelor of Midwifery

Time commitment

Midwifery is a very rewarding, but very demanding study programme.

Before you apply, we recommend that you have a discussion with your whānau/family about how they can support you to succeed in this programme.

The academic expectations and the demands of practice placements in this programme will have an impact on your family and personal life. For example, some placements will require you to be on-call and available overnight.

Please note: This degree is now delivered full-time over four years. We will be updating the workload information as soon as possible.

Placements 

Placements are an integral part of this programme, travel and accommodation will be extra costs on top of your programme fees (see Fees section for more info). 

Studying part-time 

We know that full-time study isn't always possible. You can choose to study part-time over six years* at any of our locations. If you choose this option you will

• complete year one part-time over 2 years
• complete the remaining 3 years part-time

Find out more information about this part-time option by contacting us at midwifery@op.ac.nz 

Please note that a part-time study pathway may mean that you don’t qualify for Studylink funding in Year One (Studylink funding is for domestic students only during this programme). 

There is some limited flexibility in the first two years of this study path depending on your personal circumstances; our Student Advisor will contact the successful applicants who have requested part time study in the month before orientation. 

If you’re keen to find out more, please email our Student Advisor – Midwifery@op.ac.nz or phone 0800 762 786 and ask to speak with the School of Midwifery about studying part-time.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• University Entrance as defined by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). In addition, Midwifery Council also requires that all applicants have NCEA level 3, consisting of:
  
  • a minimum of 18 credits at Level 3 in biology, chemistry or physics
  • a minimum of 16 credits at Level 3 in an English language rich subject (such as English, history, art history, classical studies, geography, economics or media studies) 
  • a further 16 credits at Level 3 or higher in two approved subjects or domains on the National Qualifications Framework
• 20 credits at Level 2, including
  • a minimum of 16 credits in biology 
  • and a further 16 credits in chemistry or physics 
• 16 credits in another Level 2 subject
• Literacy – 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
  • 5 credits in reading, and
  • 5 credits in writing 
• Numeracy - 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:
  • specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects, or
  • unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 – all three required). 

Or

• successful completion of a relevant foundation or bridging qualification at level 4 or above, or
• a recognised equivalent 

English Language requirements

If English is not your first language, you must complete an assessment of your English Language and pass the required standard. This is not applicable for applicants where any of the official languages of Aotearoa are their first language. 

You need either an:

• Overall Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0, with scores in the following areas:
  
  • Comprehension band 6.5
  • Writing band 6.5
  • Speaking band 7.0
  • Listening band 7.0

OR

• Occupational English Test (OET) with passes at A or B (350 or above) in the four areas. 

Evidence of successful completion must be provided at the time of application. If you believe that you should be exempt from this requirement, please contact the Midwifery Council by emailing info@midwiferycouncil.health.nz. Any exemptions are at the discretion of the Midwifery Council and applicants must provide written proof of exemption or IELTs results to be accepted to the Bachelor of Midwifery.

Additional entry criteria

You must also:

• provide testimony from at least two referees who can demonstrate you have good character and that you will be safe and effective to practice as a midwife, as required by the Childrens’ Act 2014.

o   referees will ideally be provided by an academic in a leadership or tutorial position/teacher/lecturer, and an employment/professional/volunteer-based referee

o   referees must be people of standing in the community If you have not studied in the last five years a second professional referee may be contacted instead of an academic referee. 

o  referees may not be a family member, partner or flatmate.

•  a self declaration of any mental and/or physical conditions, to demonstrate that you are fit for practice as a midwife. Under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 some types of physical or mental conditions may result in the Midwifery Council being unable to register a person as a midwife. A medical report may also be requested, where evidence of good health is required, as per Midwifery Council requirements.
• personal statement, which demonstrates communication skills and self-responsibility in relation to your learning and practice, as required by the Midwifery Council.
• provide a current comprehensive or standard First Aid Certificate, including proficiency in CPR (NQF unit standards 6401 and 6402 or equivalent).
• provide a copy of your drivers licence and an indication that you have access to reliable transport for on-call practice. This programme has travel requirements associated with clinical placement; it is therefore recommended that you have a driver's licence to support you with meeting the programme clinical placement requirements. 

Once you are accepted into the programme you are required to

• complete a safety check. The safety check will be required to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Children’s Act 2014.  This may include, but is not limited to
  • Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Reference checks
  • Police check
  • A risk assessment

Unsatisfactory results arising from the full safety checking process may result in you being declined entry or withdrawn from the programme of study. 

Please note: Registered health practitioners from other disciplines who seek Recognition of Prior Learning on the basis of their health professional qualification and practice experience must hold registration with the relevant regulator authority in New Zealand and provide a Certificate of Good Standing from that authority.

Don't meet the entry requirements?

Our Health Bridging Certificate acts as a bridging programme into this midwifery qualification.

The Health Bridging Certificate is also ideal if you need to update specific knowledge and skills, and demonstrate your academic ability. Distance options are available.

Please note: Due to the high demand for places, successful completion of the Health Bridging Certificate (Level 4) will not automatically guarantee you entry into the Bachelor of Midwifery programme. Preference will be given to those who achieve a B+ result. 

Health and vaccination information

You don’t need to supply evidence of your vaccination status to apply for this programme.

However, the placement component of this programme has a higher risk of exposure to vaccine preventable diseases. Therefore, most placement providers will require evidence from you that you are fully vaccinated and have immunity for tuberculosis, varicella, measles, hepatitis B and pertussis (within the last 10 years).

Evidence of immunity to vaccine preventable diseases is ascertained by a blood test and your vaccination records.

Placements are an integral part of this programme, and you’ll need to complete the vaccine requirements to be able to successfully achieve your qualification.

If you have concerns or questions about this requirement, please feel free to contact us.

Other risks and information

The nature of midwifery practice means that, at times, you may be at risk of:

• Physical injuries that may occur as a result of hazards in the classroom, laboratory or practice setting
• Allergic reactions through contact with latex, exposure to drugs or chemicals
• Issues affecting your emotional and physical wellbeing
• Infection or cross-infection through contact with infective agents in the laboratory or practice setting.

Once you have been accepted into the programme, you will be notified that you must produce current evidence of immunisation status. Immunisation status is determined by a blood test and your vaccination history. 

How we manage these risks

We will provide health and safety information relating to computer use and to practice equipment and advise you how to reduce any risk of injury. You will have access to copies of relevant hazards registers and processes for reporting accidents and injuries so our Health and Safety Officers can follow them up.

You are required to undergo screening tests for infectious diseases and immune status prior to the commencement of the programme.

Studying in the North island?

All North Island learners/ākonga who are studying full-time in their first year are eligible for a $2,000 tuition fee reduction.

Scholarship for Māori applicants

The Irihapeti Ramsden Memorial Midwifery Scholarship offers fees subsidies to one Māori midwifery student accepted for this degree each year. Nga Maia facilitates provision of whanau support for the Scholarship recipients during their studies. Applications are submitted to Nga Maia at the start of the academic year and the scholarship is awarded before June of applicants’ first year of study.

Find out more

Additional costs 

There are a number of additional costs for this programme. All the costs quoted are approximate. Please also see the Workload section (Placements information) for additional information about travel and accommodation costs. 

Multi-year fees

The tuition fees shown above are approximate only. There may be a slight fee increase per year once Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) rules and guidelines are applied. These fees also don’t include additional costs or living costs.

Completing your application 

Before you apply, ensure you understand the application process and all the requirements you need to meet. 

You can enter information and upload documents directly into the application form. You may wish to prepare some of the required documentation beforehand.

To begin your application, click the Apply button at the top of this page.

You will need to provide:

1. copies of all of your official tertiary transcripts (including those which don't relate to Midwifery).
2. a personal statement (1800 to 2200 words), answering the following:
   1. why you want to be a midwife.
   2. the qualities you bring to the midwifery profession in Aotearoa New Zealand.
   3. your life experiences relevant to a career in women's health. (Do not give details of personal birth experiences).
   4. the role and relevance of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Aotearoa New Zealand.
   5. the demands, as you understand them, of being a midwifery student in our blended programme.
   6. your plan to manage the social, academic and financial demands of this course.
3. a First Aid Certificate which includes CPR (or confirmation of booking).
4. a copy of the front and back of your full driver licence (or restricted licence with an explanation of how you will meet demands of the programme until you have a full licence).
5. a health declaration.
6. a conviction declaration and permission for a Police Check to ensure you meet the requirements of the Children's Act 2014.
7. contact details for two referees - (one academic and one employer - if you have not studied in the last five years, two professional referees can be considered. If you are not currently employed, a referee from community engagement i.e. Playcentre can be considered instead of an employer. Family friends are not a suitable referee).
8. certified copies of proof of identity.
9. proof of residency and evidence of meeting English Language Requirements (where appropriate).

Initial selection decisions will be made in late September. Applicants who complete their applications after 20th September can expect to hear our decision in four-six weeks.