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Ara Institute of Canterbury

Christchurch , South Island ,New Zealand

Bachelor of Midwifery

Learn how to confidently nurture pregnant women through one of life's most meaningful events.
Midwives work with women to provide care in pregnancy, childbirth and up to the first six weeks of a baby's life. Midwives have a wide range of knowledge and skills to be able to support women and their families safely and appropriately.

Recognised by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand, our three year degree* uses blended delivery techniques to enable you to study and work in your own community. You will be able to access practical experience, face-to-face tutorials and online study while living in your own region, including Christchurch, Nelson/Marlborough, West Coast and South Canterbury. All sites are supported by a midwifery lecturer/s who will provide individual support, organise the tutorials and coordinate local midwifery practice experience for you. Compulsory block weeks are taught in Christchurch throughout the year, and all students are required to attend these sessions.

To meet the Midwifery Council of New Zealand requirements the degree is made up of theory and practice content carried out over 45 weeks of delivery per year. You will have the opportunity to follow at least 25 women throughout their midwifery care and facilitate 40 births in a variety of maternity settings.

Studies cover a wide range of topics including midwifery practice skills, nutrition, lactation and bioscience foundations. You will also learn about Maori health, integrated midwifery practice and rural midwifery practice to allow you to adapt to the wide range of needs and circumstances encountered in midwifery.

You will gain a good understanding of how to assess the social, psychological, physical, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs of each woman and her family, so you have the knowledge and skills needed to support women during their childbirth experience. Part-time, 4 years (with approval).

Campus Information

Christchurch City

The Madras street campus is on the fringe of Christchurch’s CBD and within easy walking distance of shops, cafes, supermarkets, entertainment venues, parks and other attractions. It’s well serviced by public transport, and is just five minutes from the city’s main bus exchange. The Madras street campus is Ara’s largest. In addition to modern, purpose designed facilities, it also has a recreation centre, gym, health centre, a bookshop and a number of on-site cafes.

Christchurch Manawa

Dedicated to health education, Manawa is where Ara’s nursing, midwifery and medical imaging students are based. Ara shares this brand new building – located opposite Christchurch Hospital – in a collaborative, integrated environment with researchers from the University of Canterbury and health professionals from the Canterbury District Health Board.Purpose-designed, it features several high-tech simulation rooms to provide students with real-world learning experiences. Manawa is on several bus routes and is just a short walk from shops, cafes, parks and other attractions in the CBD.

Intakes

  • Jan

Application Processing Time in Days: 20

Application Process

More Information required
10 Days
Possible Interview Call from Institution
10 Days
Provisional /Unconditional Offer
20 Days
Visa Process
30 Days

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Our Careers & Employment team provides free advice to current and prospective students, as well as our graduates. We can help you with:

  • Exploring your career options
  • Developing your employ-ability
  • Job search, CVs, interviews and more

PSW Opportunity

  • During study, all students on a student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during semester and full time during vacations.
  • After completing Level 7 Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Qualification, a student will get a three years open post-study work visa.
  • After completing Level 8 Post Graduate courses of 1 year, students get 1 year PSW.

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

New Zealand University Entrance: NCEA Level 3 (60 credits at level 3 and 20 credits at level 2 or higher) which must include:

18 credits at Level 3 in each of Biology and/or Chemistry††

and a minimum of 16 credits at Level 3 in an English language rich subject such as English, history, art history, classical studies, geography or economics

and a further 16 credits at Level 3 in one other subject from the list of approved subjects* and

Literacy* - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading, 5 credits in writing, and
Numeracy* - 10 credits at Level 1 or above (specified achievement standards, or unit standards 26623, 26626, 26627)
OR New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4) Ara Pre Health Pathway or equivalent.

†† If an applicant does not have a minimum of 18 credits at Level 3 in Biology OR Chemistry, they must have achieved 16 credits at level 2 in Biology OR Chemistry.

If you have undertaken examinations other than NCEA (e.g. International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Examination), Ara will assess your qualification for academic entry equivalency.

What if English is not my first Language?

If English is not your first language, you may also be required to provide evidence of English language skills as listed below.

The Midwifery Council of New Zealand accepts OET as an alternative to IELTS. Applicants wanting an exception must contact the Midwifery Council as Ara does not have the authority to grant an exception.
IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS test report form and are valid for two years from the date of the test.
What if I have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance?
The English Language requirements for this programme are higher than the minimum set by NZQA, therefore; applicants who have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance may be required to provide evidence of English Language skills.
Overall IELTS 7.0 Academic

7 Listening
6.5 Reading
6.5 Writing
7 Speaking