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- A profession in midwifery means helping mothers
through one of the most memorable,
and often vulnerable, times of their life.
And while the birth of babies is one element of midwifery,
there's so much more to it.
And with us, you'll learn how to manage normal pregnancy
and childbirth and provide effective postnatal,
maternal and newborn care
to women and their families in any maternity setting.
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- We've been teaching midwifery for almost 20 years at ACU
and we have an excellent reputation
for producing midwives who are caring, competent
and always ready to put women at the center of their care.
At ACU, we view midwifery and the women we care for
through a wellness model
that considers the woman and her family
across all aspects of her reproductive life.
This is reflected in our curriculum,
which is fully woman-centered.
By studying with us,
you'll become a midwife who is passionate, committed,
and a critical thinker who has learnt the importance
of caring for the woman holistically.
You'll be her advocate, ensuring she not only receives
the highest standard of care possible,
but that she is satisfied with her care as well.
You'll be taught by our passionate educators
who come from diverse backgrounds
and offer years of clinical experience in their teaching.
And our staff not only teach,
but they also undertake research in midwifery,
bringing about changes to improve the care of families
and the profession as a whole.
Importantly, ACU midwifery graduates are in demand
and there are so many opportunities for you to pursue.
In fact, we're first for graduate employment.
Not to mention, we're also in the top two percent
of universities worldwide.
Our midwifery graduates
have gone on to work as registered midwives
in maternity settings, both large and small,
and as consultant midwives clinical specialists,
antenatal educators, researchers, family care professionals,
independent midwifery practitioners
and in special care nurseries
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- The midwifery courses we offer nationally include,
the Bachelor of Midwifery,
the Bachelor of Midwifery, Graduate Entry
and the Bachelor of Midwifery, Indigenous.
The Bachelor of Midwifery is our most popular course.
If you're already working as a degree-qualified
registered nurse or paramedic,
then the Bachelor of Midwifery, Graduate Entry is for you.
It's offered at our Brisbane Campus
for students who have recent acute care experience.
The Bachelor of Midwifery, Indigenous
is an away from base program for Indigenous students
living in remote and regional areas.
You can continue to live and work in your local community
while studying and attending four, one-week residentials
at our Brisbane Campus throughout the year.
It's also important to note that our course offerings
vary across our campuses,
so make sure you check the website
or course guides for more information.
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- Practical experience is at the heart
of our midwifery degrees,
and we do everything we can
to ensure you're prepared through real-world,
hands-on experience.
In fact, as part of your degree,
you'll be completing more than 1,000 hours
of midwifery clinical practice
in hospital and community settings.
Thanks to our extensive partnerships,
we are connected to a wide range
of health care organizations
where you can undertake your clinical placements.
You'll have so many opportunities
to work in a variety of models of care
and learn a diverse range of clinical skills.
During your studies,
you'll also be engaging with a minimum of 10 women,
following their pregnancy, labor, birth,
and postnatal care journeys,
which is called their Continuity of Care Experience or CCE.
You'll be working with the women right from the start
of their journeys and attending appointments with them
throughout their pregnancies.
If possible, you'll also attend their labor and birth
and continue to meet with them for a further six weeks.
Once you've completed your studies,
where you choose to take your midwifery degree
is completely up to you.
Just know that we are here to support you
every step of the way to help you reach your goals.
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We have a range of overseas opportunities
you can take advantage of in the future.
Our staff have connections worldwide
and our partner institutions provide many opportunities
to study overseas as part of your degree.
If you're interested
in a short-term international experience,
our midwifery students can choose to visit Port Vila
or Santo in Vanuatu or Timor Leste
as part of a community engagement requirement
in the Global Context of Midwifery unit.
These overseas experiences are fantastic opportunities
for you to work in hospitals alongside local midwives.
You'll develop new skills based on resourcefulness,
and our students always find our international experiences
to be incredibly valuable as well as enjoyable.
Alternatively, you can make your way to our Rome Campus
in Italy,
which is located right in the heart of all the action.
You'll have the opportunity to gain credit
towards your degree
while exploring the city at the same time
and meeting ACU students from all over Australia.
There are so many advantages
to completing a community engagement unit,
clinical placement or professional practice experience
in an international destination.
You'll be gaining valuable experience
that counts towards your required credits for your degree,
you'll be enriched with a new global perspective
that enhances your career potential,
and you'll be exposed to so many new approaches
to health care.
And remember, we offer plenty of scholarships
to help you along the way.
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- If you're worried
you won't get into your preferred course, don't panic.
That's why we offer a range of entry and pathway programs.
Pathway programs can act as a stepping stone
into your chosen degree.
At ACU, we offer foundation, certificate
and diploma programs which once completed can be used
to gain entry in a range of bachelors degrees.
We also have articulation agreements with TAFEs and college
so you might be able to get credit from those courses
to get into ACU.
It is important to note that not all ACU degrees
have pathways programs, so make sure you check out
what's relevant for your desired course.
You may also wish to explore our entry programs
and adjustment factors, these are a way
of boosting your chance of success
with your first application.
And are often based on your personal background
such as if went to school in a regional area,
experience financial hardship,
or identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
We also offer programs for veterans and elite athletes
and performers.
And if you're in Year 12,
you should definitely check out ACU Guarantee,
our early offer program that assesses you for entry to ACU
based on your Year 11 results.
You can head to our website for more information
about these programs.
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- As a university,
we've grown rapidly over the past few years,
but our classes are the perfect size,
you won't get lost in the crowd.
Your lecturers will know your name,
and they're here to support and mentor you,
and you'll make great friends and strong networks.
If you're a full-time student,
you'll typically be studying three to four days a week.
Remember, as a student dedicating 40 hours each week
to study, this is your full-time job.
If you're a part-time student,
it will be more like one or two days each week.
The number of days you spend on campus each week
will depend on how your units are timetabled.
As a full-time student,
you might be able to fit it all into three days,
or you might have classes across more days.
- Here's what your studies will look like.
In midwifery you'll attend lectures, tutorials and labs.
The number of people in each will vary
according to the type of class it is,
and you can participate in a variety of ways,
including face to face, online and multi-mode,
which is when you'll be given information online
and will take part in interactive discussions
about the content.
You'll attend lectures with everyone from your cohort.
If for some reason you can't make it to campus,
these are always recorded
if you need to access them online later on.
Your tutorials will have approximately 30 students in each.
Normally we offer about three or four options
to choose from.
We know timetables are important to you,
which is why ACU has just introduced
a new timetabling system
to help you secure the classes that suit you best.
Your laboratory classes are smaller in size
and there are more to choose from.
Labs run for two hours and are 100% compulsory.
This is because we need to let our clinical partners know
that you have practiced skills
in a simulated environment first,
before you begin practicing on women and babies.
Now, let's talk about assessments.
Each unit of study has a maximum
of three assessments each semester.
If the unit has a final exam,
it is counted as part of the three assessments.
These assessments will be a combination of essays, quizzes,
examinations or on-campus class presentations.
They might include creating public health materials
aimed at improving women's health,
group presentations delivered in a variety of mediums,
or written assignments that are designed
to develop your critical thinking and critiquing skills.
When it's time to undertake your clinical experience,
you'll also have practical assessments
called Midwifery Clinical Assessment Tools, or MCATs.
Don't forget, your lecturers and tutors are there to help
and they'll take you through the details
of each assessment in class.
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- If later on you want to further your career,
change jobs or upskill,
you can choose to study,
the Bachelor of Midwifery, Honors,
Master of Philosophy
or Doctor of Philosophy or PhD.
Thank you for joining us today.
Don't forget you can always find more information online,
at our events, in our course guides,
or by contacting AskACU.
Good luck with your journey to university,
we hope to welcome you to ACU soon.