Graduate Certificate in Midwifery

Admission requirements

Applicants must normally hold a midwifery degree or equivalent qualification, and must hold a current certificate of registration as a midwife.

Domestic students must hold a current certificate of registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to be able to apply for endorsement for prescribing of scheduled medicines for midwives based on successful completion of NMBA-approved topics.

However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The course aims to provide the opportunity for Registered Midwives to advance their knowledge and skills for professional practice through an innovative program of study, to deepen their knowledge and skills in midwifery and prepare for an expanded practice role. This course will not lead to registration as a midwife.

Domestic students holding a current certificate of registration may apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) for endorsement for prescribing of scheduled medicines for midwives based on successful completion of NMBA-approved topics and other requirements as stipulated by NMBA.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the course students will be expected to be able to:

demonstrate specialised evidence-based knowledge and skills for midwifery practice;
critically analyse contemporary midwifery practice within dynamic professional and political contexts;
apply the advanced knowledge and skills for complex problem solving;
practice according to the legislation, regulations and policies relevant to the prescribing of medicines and ordering of investigations and diagnostic testing;
evaluate professional accountability and responsibility for midwifery practice.

Program of study

To qualify for The Graduate Certificate in Midwifery, a student must complete 18 units with a grade of Pass or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.

Except with permission of the Dean (Education):

no topic may be attempted more than twice
a student may not include a topic which repeats work previously undertaken
the program must be completed full-time within one semester or part-time within four consecutive semesters.

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or in 9 units or more, or failure to complete the course within four consecutive semesters may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purpose of the University′s Policy on Student Progress.

Core - Year 1 topics

18 units comprising:

Minimum of 9 units selected from:

MIDW9004 Midwifery Models of Care (9 units)
MIDW9005 Perinatal Mental Health and Social Context (9 units)
MIDW9011 Pharmacology and Prescribing for Midwives (4.5 units)*
MIDW9012 Investigation and Diagnostics for Midwives (4.5 units)*

*Domestic students with a current registration certificate who successfully complete both MIDW9011 and MIDW9012 may apply to the NMBA for endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives. Please refer to the NMBA web site for additional requirements for endorsement.

Maximum of 9 units selected from:

NURS9123 Epidemiology and Population Studies for Health Care Practice (4.5 units)
NURS9124 Advanced Thinking, Communicating and Problem Solving for Health Professionals (4.5 units)
NURS9126 Leadership in Health Studies (4.5 units)
NURS9219 Introduction to Research (4.5 units)
GEOG9141 Women's Health and Child Survival (4.5 units)

Every effort has been made to ensure the information published on the Course Rule pages is accurate at the time of publication. Flinders University reserves the right to amend its curriculum without prior notice, and will update the Course Rules to reflect any amendments at the earliest opportunity.