Graduate Diploma of Midwifery
2027 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2027 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Diploma of Midwifery |
| Deakin course code | H676 |
| Course credit points | 8 |
| Course version | 2 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course information | For students who commenced from 2022 onwards |
| Campus | This course is only offered Online |
| Duration | 1.5 years in a combination of full-time and part-time study |
| Course map - enrolment planning tool | The course map for students commencing from Trimester 1 2027 will be available soon Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8 |
| Supplementary information | NOTE: Course structure applies to students that commenced in 2022 onwards. Students that commenced before 2022 should refer to previous handbooks. Students enrol online however there are campus requirements at Burwood (Melbourne) for the intensive program and for the simulation activities. |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Midwifery gives registered nurses the knowledge, skills and clinical experience to become registered midwives. Over 18 months, you’ll build your capability in woman-centred care across pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal care, complex midwifery care and neonatal special care.
This course is accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), giving graduates a recognised pathway to apply for registration as a midwife.
You will complete at least 856 hours of clinical practice, with placements beginning in trimester 1 and continuing throughout the course. You will study online, benefitting from campus intensives and simulation activities, alongside clinical placement experience with approved maternity service partners. Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery is ranked #14 in the world for nursing, giving you the confidence to learn with a globally recognised school.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This may include lectures, seminars and simulation. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Professional recognition
On successful completion of your course, you will be eligible to apply for registration as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). This course is accredited with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and is an NMBA approved course.
The NMBA has mandatory registration standards that applicants need to meet to be registered. Core registration standards are available on the NMBA website.
Career opportunities
The healthcare industry is Australia’s largest and fastest growing employment sector. On top of that, the Australian Government expects jobs in midwifery to increase by over 25% in the next four years to 2025*. Employment opportunities for registered midwives have never been greater, and Deakin students, in particular, will be sought-after for their extensive practical experience.
You’ll graduate from the course ready to thrive in a variety of settings, including:
- public and private hospital maternity units
- obstetricians' consulting room
- caseload midwifery
- community health programs
As registered midwives, it is expected that graduates will maintain professional development throughout their careers. This may include further postgraduate degrees and/or research degrees, including masters and PhDs.
*Australian Government Job Outlook
Participation requirements
The course involves compulsory clinical practice hours over the duration of the course with your host organisation. An intensive teaching program is conducted at the Melbourne Burwood Campus in mid-February and nominated ‘study days’ are conducted throughout each of the trimesters during the 18 months of the course. Students will typically be employed in a supervised part-time placement arrangement within maternity services at their host organisation.
Students are expected to participate in all timetabled learning experiences, online or at specified physical locations.
In order to participate in on-campus learning activities, and to safely engage in placements in clinical environments, there are a number of skills and functions that students need to be able to demonstrate, with or without reasonable adjustments. These skills and functions are known as Inherent Requirements. Find out more about the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery Inherent Requirements.
To discuss these requirements and the adjustments we can provide to support your success, please contact the Disability Resource Centre.
Mandatory student checks
Department of Human Services policy - Police Record Check and Working With Children Check
Police Record Check
In accordance with Department of Human Services policy, all students are required to undertake a National Police Record Check prior to professional experience placements in each calendar year of their course.
Students who fail to obtain a Police Record Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.
Working with Children Check
In accordance with the Worker Screening Act 2020, all students are required to undertake a Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to obtain a Working with Children Check prior to the commencement of professional experience placement will not be able to undertake professional experience placement and this will impede progress in the course.
Immunisation
Students are required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.
Pathways
This course provides a pathway to higher degree by research courses and other postgraduate coursework programs.
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Practice midwifery that is underpinned by the philosophy of woman-centred care. |
| Critically engage in a process of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation to provide evidence informed safe and quality care to optimise outcomes in partnership with the woman. |
| Be a reflective learner who actively develops and maintains the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for contemporary midwifery practice. |
| Develop sustainable, culturally safe partnerships, enriched by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures and knowledges founded on mutual trust, respect and collaboration to support safe, quality midwifery care. |
| Foster effective professional relationships to ensure safe and quality care. |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Course rules
To complete the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery you must pass 8 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 8 credit points of core units.
Both the theoretical and clinical components of the assessment for each unit must be passed to successfully gain an overall pass in this course. Compulsory clinical hurdle requirements form part of the assessment of this course. Recognition of the importance of clinical assessments is calculated in the overall student workload.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Year 1 - Trimester 1 (Commencing February)
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HNM709 | Partnerships in Midwifery 1: Pregnancy Care |
| HNM710 | Partnerships in Midwifery 2: Labour and Birth Care |
| HNM711 | Partnerships in Midwifery 3: Postnatal Care |
Year 1 - Trimester 2
| HNM722 | Complex Midwifery Care |
| HNM723 | Neonatal Challenges in Midwifery Practice |
| HNN754 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Histories, Cultures and Health |
Year 2 - Trimester 1
| HNM733 | Emergency Midwifery Care |
| HNM734 | Contemporary Midwifery Practice |
Work experience
Clinical Practicum
The Graduate Diploma of Midwifery has been designed to incorporate clinical learning opportunities and supervised part-time arrangements within your host organisation. Students are usually employed within a collaborating health service to support and provide a sound clinical learning environment for the clinical program requirements of the course. Some healthcare partners offer non-paid clinical midwifery practice experience including pregnancy care, labour and birth, postnatal care and neonatal special care.
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.