Curtin University
Master of Midwifery
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 24 months
Prepare for professional midwifery practice through evidence-based study, more than 800 supervised clinical hours and continuity-of-care experiences spanning pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care.
Course overview
The Curtin University Master of Midwifery provides a graduate-entry pathway into midwifery for applicants with a recognised bachelor’s or graduate degree. A previous nursing qualification is not required, making the course suitable for graduates seeking to change professional direction and enter midwifery practice.
The course integrates physical, biological, psychological and social sciences with evidence-based clinical practice. You will develop capabilities in woman-centred care, reproductive and perinatal health, mental health, health screening, diagnostic reasoning, pharmacology, clinical safety and culturally safe practice.
More than 800 hours of supervised clinical practice are completed across maternity settings. Placements generally involve two to four weeks of full-time practice per semester, alongside two to three weeks of full-time workshops at Curtin Perth. You will also follow ten women through pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care, requiring travel and periods of on-call availability.
Delivered on campus at Curtin Perth, the course is completed over two years full-time. Australian citizens and permanent residents may study part-time over four years, subject to unit availability. The course is accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Graduates are eligible to apply for registration as a midwife, subject to meeting the Board’s registration standards.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
From $813 (CSP)
What you will study
To earn the Master of Midwifery, you must successfully complete units totalling 400 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 25 credit points.
Core units
- Applied Midwifery Bioscience
- Healthy Clinical Midwifery Practice
- Indigenous Perspectives for Clinical Practice
- Professional Midwifery Studies
- Clinical Midwifery Practice
- Applied Midwifery Bioscience
- Perinatal Mental Health for Midwifery Studies
- Research and Evaluation in Health
- Complex Clinical Midwifery Practice
- Applied Complex Midwifery Bioscience
- Health Screening and Diagnostics Reasoning
- Evidence Informed Clinical Practice
- Transitional Midwifery Practice (50 credit points)
- Clinical Safety and Quality
- Principles of Pharmacology and Prescribing
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for this course, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- Hold a recognised bachelor’s degree or graduate degree.
- Have successfully completed a tertiary-level human biology unit with a focus on anatomy and physiology.
- Hold a strong academic record, with an indicative course weighted average of 70%.
- Meet Curtin’s English-language requirements and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s English-language skills registration standard.
- Complete Curtin’s English-language declaration form.
Applicants who have not completed the required anatomy and physiology study may be able to complete the relevant unit through Curtin’s Health Sciences Graduate Entry Foundation course.
Entry is competitive and places are limited. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an offer.
Application requirements
Applicants must submit:
- Academic transcripts and an award certificate.
- A current résumé.
- A completed prerequisite-unit identification template.
- Unit outlines for relevant prerequisite study completed outside Curtin. These must include the syllabus, learning outcomes and assessments.
- A completed English-language declaration form.
Fieldwork and compliance requirements
Before commencing clinical practice, students must meet Curtin’s applicable fieldwork requirements, which may include:
- AHPRA student-registration requirements
- Department of Health criminal-record screening
- National Police Check
- Working with Children Check
- Immunisation and communicable-disease screening
- Basic Life Support certificate
- Manual-handling certificate
- Hand-hygiene requirements
- Student declaration
- Other health, legal and essential fieldwork requirements specified by Curtin
Students are responsible for obtaining and maintaining the required checks, certificates and immunisations and for associated costs.
English language requirements
Curtin requires applicants to meet both its course English-language criteria and the NMBA English-language skills registration standard. You can meet this requirement by providing evidence of one of the following:
- An IELTS Academic overall band score of 7.5, with a minimum score of 7.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
- An alternative English language test accepted by Curtin, provided you achieve the required equivalent scores.
- An eligible previous qualification or another form of English language evidence accepted by Curtin.
Applicants may also satisfy the requirement through another pathway accepted under Curtin’s nursing and midwifery English-language requirements and the applicable NMBA standard. Applicants must complete Curtin’s English-language declaration form.
Contact the university or visit its website for more information.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
Graduates of this course should be able to:
- Actively support culturally safe, values-led care for women and babies through personal and professional cultural competence.
- Apply midwifery knowledge and skills reflectively, critically and with initiative in dynamic and complex practice settings.
- Recognise the importance of skilled professional midwifery care for women and babies in an international context.
- Critically analyse scientific literature and health standards and integrate evidence into woman-centred care and clinical decision-making.
- Use current technology and clinical information to make informed decisions about therapeutic interventions and provide safe and effective care.
- Communicate effectively with women, interprofessional teams and the wider community within primary healthcare and public-health contexts.
- Apply the values of midwifery practice, critically reflect on practice and contribute to the development of self and others through leadership.
- Practise within current health legislation and ethical, legal and professionally accountable frameworks.
- Pursue lifelong learning and continue developing knowledge and skills that contribute to the midwifery profession.
Career outcomes
Graduates who obtain the required professional registration may pursue a career as a:
- Midwife
Midwives may work in settings including:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Community practices
- Birthing centres
- Home-based maternity services
Fees and CSP
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $6,500 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
Indicative annual fee in 2026: $29,330 (Full-fee paying place)
Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
