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Studies & Degrees in Midwifery

Midwifery is the profession that cares for women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and for mothers and babies in the weeks that follow. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) describes the midwife as a responsible and accountable professional who gives support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period, conducts births on the midwife's own responsibility and cares for the newborn. The work includes detecting complications in mother and child, calling in medical help and carrying out emergency measures.

"Midwife" is a protected title in many countries. In the ICM definition, a midwife has completed a recognised midwifery education programme and has the qualifications to be registered or legally licensed to practise. A midwifery course is therefore tied to a regulator, and where you study largely decides where you can work.

Students learn midwifery practice and clinical skills, biological sciences, pharmacology, psychology, communication, health promotion, research, and the ethical and legal side of the job. A large share of the course is spent on placement. In the United Kingdom, half of every approved programme takes place in clinical practice with women, babies and families.

Qualifications and levels

There are two models. In some countries you study midwifery directly as a first degree; in others you become a nurse first and then specialise.

  • United Kingdom: all midwives must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after completing a programme it has approved. Courses usually take a minimum of three years; a registered adult nurse can take a shortened course of 18 months. King's College London, for example, offers a three-year BSc in Midwifery with Registration as a Midwife that is accredited by the NMC. The NHS careers service also lists postgraduate routes and a degree apprenticeship
  • Ireland: the degree lasts four years. University College Cork awards a BSc (Hons) at level 8 of the Irish framework, and graduates of the Trinity College Dublin course can apply to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
  • Australia: the Bachelor of Midwifery at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) takes three years full-time. Programmes are accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, and graduates apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
  • United States: nurse midwives are advanced practice registered nurses. They must earn at least a master's degree, hold a state licence and pass a national certification exam, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • Spain: the midwife (matrona) is a specialist nurse. After a nursing degree of 240 ECTS credits, the official specialty of Enfermería Obstétrico-Ginecológica (Matrona) takes two years of full-time residency training, with at least 3,600 hours of teaching and clinical activity

For UK undergraduate courses, applications go through UCAS. The NHS careers service says universities usually look for at least five GCSEs at grade 9-4/C or above and two or three A-levels or equivalent qualifications; each university sets its own requirements.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 25 schools that teach midwifery. Most are in the United Kingdom (12) and Australia (6), followed by Ireland (2), with one each in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Ukraine and Russia. In nearly all of them the language of instruction is English.

International applicants should check two things before choosing. First, whether the course is open to them at all: UniSC, for example, states that its Bachelor of Midwifery is only available to domestic students. Places depend on clinical placements in local maternity services, so limits of this kind are common. Second, the language level needed for registration. For registration in Australia, graduates must show English at IELTS level 7, with 7 in every subtest, or equivalent.

If you plan to work in a different country from the one where you study, ask the regulator there how it treats a foreign midwifery qualification, because the direct-entry and nurse-first models do not match each other automatically.

Careers

Midwives work in hospitals, birth centres, clinics and the community, including women's homes. The NHS careers service notes that midwifery services are increasingly moving from hospitals to the community. With experience, midwives move into team leadership, specialist and consultant roles, teaching or research; UniSC lists hospital and community midwife, private practice midwife, and midwifery educator and researcher among the career outcomes of its degree.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 8,200 nurse midwives in 2025 and projects 9,100 in 2035, an increase of 11 percent.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be a nurse before I study midwifery?

It depends on the country. The United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia offer direct-entry midwifery degrees. In the United States and Spain, midwifery is a specialisation for registered nurses.

How long does it take to become a midwife?

Usually three years in the United Kingdom and Australia and four years in Ireland. In Spain it takes a nursing degree of 240 ECTS credits followed by two years of specialist training.

How much of a midwifery degree is practical?

A lot. In the United Kingdom, half of an approved programme is based in clinical practice. At Trinity College Dublin, the first clinical placement starts in October of the first year.

Can international students study midwifery?

Some courses accept them and others are limited to domestic students, so check the entry page of each school. You will also need the level of English that the regulator asks for.