The honours degree of Bachelor of Midwifery

Course code: 3564 + Course abbreviation: HonoursBMid + Total credit points required: 198 + 4 years full-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Peninsula - F/T only)

Course description

The honours degree provides students with a recognised pathway to a higher degree by research. Through completion of the honours degree, students acquire knowledge, competence, skills and attributes that enhance their ability to promote professional midwifery and to lead and achieve in their chosen fields. Midwifery in contemporary health care settings requires practitioners who are highly trained professionals, technically competent and capable of problem identification, together with the application of research methods, within the practice environment.

Students undertaking the Bachelor of Midwifery (see the entry for the Bachelor of Midwifery under ‘Single degrees’ earlier in this section of the handbook) are selected into the honours degree at the completion of the second year. From year three, students undertaking the honours degree in midwifery will begin taking research units alongside their remaining midwifery units.

Course objectives

On completion of this course graduates will be able to: clearly describe a broad range of research methodologies which may be used to investigate the discipline of midwifery; demonstrate skills in undertaking research including planning, development and implementation of a research project under supervision; produce and present research work at a scholarly level; be proficient in information management and computer-based data acquisition, analysis, presentation, and word processing; have acquired a range of the clinical skills to the level of an advanced novice midwifery practitioner level; pursue further study and learning in selected areas of the discipline of midwifery independently of the need for close supervision and monitoring; demonstrate preparedness for higher level research; work as part of a multidisciplinary team in the clinical environment; identify clinical problems and utilise evidence-based practice models to research clinical problems; demonstrate safe clinical practice based on sound theoretical knowledge and reasoning.

Course structure

Course requirements

To qualify for the honours degree of Bachelor of Midwifery, students must satisfactorily complete the following units in their third and fourth year of study (having already completed years one and two of the Bachelor of Midwifery – see the entry for this course under ‘Single degrees’ earlier in this section of the handbook).

Third year

First semester

NUR4401 Clinical honours thesis I: applied research methods and skills
MID3103 Childbearing obstacles (consortium unit HNM7007 – Victoria University)
MID3104 Navigating childbearing obstacles
MID3105 Women’s health women’s business

Second semester

NUR4402 Clinical honours thesis II: framing a research project
MID3107 Babies needing extra care (consortium unit NRSG335 – Australian Catholic University)
MID3108 Working with babies
MID3106 Women’s health practice

Fourth year

First semester

NUR4403 Clinical honours thesis III: conducting a research project
MID3201 Midwifery practice elective: contractual learning in an area of choice (elective) (eg rural and remote, level 2 nursery)

Second semester

NUR4404 Clinical honours thesis IV: implementing and reporting research

Professional recognition

The honours degree of Bachelor of Midwifery will be awarded on completion of the course and will lead to eligibility for registration with restricted practice (division 1) with the Nurses Board of Victoria.

Contact details

Telephone: +61 3 9904 4260, email: nursing.enquiries@med.monash.edu.au or visit www.med.monash.edu.au/nursing

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