Graduate Certificate in Midwifery (Re-entry)

Bring your career to life with midwifery

If you have previously been registered as a midwife in Australia or have been out of the workforce for between five and ten years, this one-year part-time degree will lead to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). This unique and in-demand course is built on a woman-centred primary health care philosophy as described in the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s ‘National Competency Standards for the Midwife’.

Offering extensive theoretical studies and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience, this course will redevelop a comprehensive understanding of the integration of midwifery, medical and pharmacological theory as it applies to the provision of midwifery care. Your prior skills will be acknowledged as you study a range of contemporary issues which affect childbearing women and their families. Across your year of study, you will undertake approximately 416 hours of professional practice, including the provision of continuity of care experiences to eight women in their journey through pregnancy, labour, birth and early motherhood. You will graduate as a confident and competent midwife, ready to re-enter the workforce and focus on the unique needs of women and their families. 

Study a Graduate Certificate in Midwifery (Re-entry) at UC and you will:

• participate in WIL placements, including rostered and on-call shifts
• learn to contribute to the development of services, policies and research into maternity care now and as a future leader
• work at individual, family and community levels to facilitate all women’s rights to, and responsibilities in, active participation in their maternity care
• experience a variety of workplace settings, including birth centres, regional and rural maternity units, and tertiary hospitals.

Work Integrated Learning

WIL plays an important role in the Graduate Certificate in Midwifery (Re-entry), and is focused on renewing skills and completing the necessary requirements set by the NMBA for re-registration. UC invests significantly in the WIL route compared with other universities, and from the moment you begin your studies, you will engage in clinical placement experience across a range of Canberra maternity settings, such as Calvary Public Hospital, Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, and Queanbeyan District Hospital. You will complete continuity work totalling approximately 150 hours with a minimum of six women, and will undertake three days of rostered practice per week for nine weeks, representing a total of 216 hours across the year.

As part of the UC midwifery student community, you will be encouraged to join the University of Canberra Midwifery Society, which has student engagement as a primary focus.

Please note: throughout your degree you will be working in continuity with women and will be required to attend their regular antenatal and postnatal visits, and be on call for the woman’s labour and birth. The nature of continuity work means that you will need flexibility in both your personal and professional life and be able to adjust your commitments accordingly.

You will also undertake a three week block of rostered shift work mid-year, and a six week Capstone Block of rostered practice at the end of the year.

Career opportunities

Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate in Midwifery (Re-entry), you’ll be eligible to register as a midwife in Australia across a variety of settings, including rural and remote areas, hospitals, birth centres, communities and in women’s homes.

Course-specific information

This degree is suitable for midwives previously registered in Australia or those who have been out of the clinical workforce for between five and ten years and wish to regain registration. As such, applicants must provide UC with a letter of referral from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) confirming prior registration as a midwife, qualifications and recency of practice history. 

There are non-standard English language requirements for this course. To be eligible you must have an academic IELTS of 7.0 overall.

Professional accreditation with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is being pursued for this course.

Prior to undertaking any clinical experience, you must:

• provide your immunisation history
• apply for a national police check
• apply for Working with Vulnerable People registration
• undertake a tuberculosis (TB) screening test
• sign any required NSW Health forms.