Bachelor of Midwifery (Indigenous Cohort)
Course information for - 2023 entry
Offered at 1 locations
- Study mode
- Multi-mode
- Duration
- 3 years full-time or equivalent part-time
- ATAR
- N/A
- Fees (first year)*
$6019 CSP
- Start dates
-
Semester 1 intake: Beginning February 2023Applications open August 2022Midyear (Semester 2) intake: Not available
Overview
This midwifery course is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who want to become registered midwives.
As with the Bachelor of Midwifery, this course prepares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to work as entry-level midwives in any maternity setting – focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families.
Students will enrol in this midwifery course in an ‘away-from-base’ capacity. The ‘away-from-base’ mode enables students to live and work in their local community while studying and attending four residentials of one week each in Brisbane throughout the year. The students will also engage with a minimum of ten women to follow their pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care journey called their Continuity of Care Experiences (CCE). This experience involves the student recruiting the woman in early pregnancy and attending appointments throughout. If possible, the student attends the labour and birth and follows the woman after discharge home up to six weeks following birth.

Professional experience
Students will undertake clinical placements at maternity hospitals and community facilities across Australia. The first clinical placement begins in the first year of the program. Our clinical partners are very important to us and range from small maternity units to large tertiary hospitals. In Queensland partners include the Mater Health Service, St Vincent’s Private Hospital and Redcliffe Hospital. There are many more partners including rural health services where students experience placement.
As part of your course, you will be placed in a range of organisations to integrate the theory you learn with practical workplace experiences (placements). Students may also apply to take part in a community engagement elective in the third year of their studies that offers the opportunity to study a number of women during their pregnancies and undertake approved available overseas study. This presents students with the opportunity to experience different cultural health practices and services.
As part of your enrolment, you must complete the Faculty of Health Sciences pre-placement requirements. To ensure you meet these requirements you need to start as soon as possible. Visit ACU’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) website to view your Pre-Placement Requirements checklist.
Professional recognition
Eligible graduates can apply for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Please refer to the Registration Standards for Midwives on the AHPRA website.

Careers
Graduates can pursue a range of careers including:
- midwife
- consultant midwife
- clinical specialist
- pre-natal educator
- researcher
- family care and child health centre professional
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Midwifery (Indigenous), a student must complete 240 credit points (cp).
Sample program map
Year - Study period | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year 1 - Semester 1 | HLSC120 Indigenous Health and Culture | BIOL121 Human Biological Science 1 | HLSC122 Evidence for Practice | MIDW111 Midwifery Professional Practice 1: Foundations in Midwifery Knowledge and Practice | |
Year 1 - Semester 2 | UNCC100 Self and Community: Exploring the Anatomy of Modern Society OR PHCC102 Being Human OR PHCC104 Ethics and the Good Life | HLSC111 The Person, Health and Wellbeing | MIDW113 Midwifery Care of the Pregnant Woman | MIDW122 Midwifery Professional Practice 2 | |
Year 2 - Semester 1 | MIDW246 Midwifery Care of the Postnatal Woman and Family | BIOL122 Human Biological Science 2 | MIDW216 Midwifery Care of the Birthing Woman | MIDW213 Midwifery Professional Practice 3 | |
Year 2 - Semester 2 | HLSC220 Health Care Ethics | MIDW215 Perinatal Mental Health | MIDW217 Midwifery Care of the Woman with Complex Needs | MIDW224 Midwifery Professional Practice 4 | |
Year 3 - Semester 1 | UNCC300 Justice and Change in a Global World OR PHCC320 The Just Society | MIDW350 The Profession of Midwifery | MIDW335 Babies Needing Extra Care | MIDW315 Midwifery Professional Practice 5 | |
Year 3 - Semester 2 | MIDW353 The Inquiring Midwife | MIDW351 Global Perspectives on Midwifery | MIDW326 Midwifery Professional Practice 6 |
This is a sample program only and units will vary depending on your campus and mode of study. Please refer to the handbook for the prerequisite units and the current listing.
AQF framework
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
All students need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy .
An applicant must identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites at year 12 level, or equivalent.
State | Prerequisites |
---|---|
Queensland | English (Units 3 & 4, C). |
New South Wales | Assumed knowledge: Nil |
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2023 Admission.
View transparency admission information
Adjustment factors
If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.
Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Further study
An honours year is available to meritorious students, with a grade point average of 5.5, who meet the admission requirements for the Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours).
The Faculty of Health Sciences also offers a suite of postgraduate coursework degrees with specialties including mental health, clinical education, health administration as well as leadership and management in health care.
Fees
Course costs
$6019 CSP
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a full-time study load of 40 credit points (normally 4 units) per semester.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- the number of units studied per semester;
- the choice of major or specialisation; and
- elective units.
The University reviews fees annually.
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.
How to apply
Domestic applicants
Direct application
Apply nowDeferment
Deferment is available for one year. Find out more about deferment: Deferment Information.