Bachelor of Midwifery
at Australian Catholic University, New South Wales.
A three-year ANMAC-accredited direct-entry midwifery degree leading to registration as a midwife with AHPRA. Includes continuity-of-care placements where students follow at least 10 women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the Australian Catholic University Bachelor of Midwifery. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77 | UAC |
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | UAC |
Most recent published cutoff is 77 for the 2025 intake.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
ACU runs the Bachelor of Midwifery as a three-year ANMAC accredited program leading to AHPRA Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia registration as a Midwife. Year one covers anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth, foundations of midwifery practice, the social context of childbirth, indigenous womens health and the first major clinical placement. Year two layers complex pregnancy, labour and birth, neonatal care, breastfeeding and lactation, postnatal care, midwifery pharmacology and a second clinical placement. Year three carries advanced midwifery practice, perinatal mental health, complex case management, leadership and the final clinical rotations. ANMAC requires students to follow at least 20 women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period (Continuity of Care Experience, CCE), assist at 30 births, and complete 100 antenatal, 40 postnatal and 100 newborn assessments over the degree.
Example first-year subjects
- Anatomy and Physiology for Midwifery
- Foundations of Midwifery Practice
- Indigenous Womens Health
- Social Context of Childbirth
- Introduction to Continuity of Care Experience
- Communication and Cultural Safety in Midwifery
How you will be assessed
- Clinical placement supervisor evaluation and competency assessment
- Continuity of Care Experience portfolio and reflective journal
- OSCE practical exams in simulation labs
- Written case studies of antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care
- Mid-semester tests and final exams in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology
- Group presentations on policy and quality improvement in maternity
Placement and industry experience
ANMAC requires extensive midwifery clinical practice including the Continuity of Care Experience (follow 20 women from antenatal through birth to six weeks postpartum), 30 supervised births, 100 antenatal assessments, 40 postnatal assessments and 100 newborn examinations. ACU rotates students through Catholic health network (St Vincents, Mater, Calvary) plus public LHDs maternity units, midwifery group practice, antenatal clinics, community midwifery and the early-parenting and lactation services. Placements include shift work, on-call requirements for births, and travel to community visits.
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as registered midwives in public and private maternity services, birth centres and community midwifery group practices after AHPRA midwifery registration.
- First-year jobs typically include hospital midwifery graduate programs, continuity-of-care midwifery group practice and roles in womens health clinics.
- Many alumni progress to midwifery group practice leadership, lactation consultancy, womens health policy or nurse practitioner study.
Professional accreditation
- Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council
- AHPRA Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia registration eligible
Typical first jobs
- Registered Midwife in NSW Health maternity units (acute, birthing, postnatal)
- Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) caseload midwife
- Community midwife in early-parenting and home-visit services
- Rural and remote midwife in regional NSW maternity services
- Midwife in private maternity hospitals
- Specialty midwife in birth centres and homebirth practice (with experience)
Graduate starting salary
$72,000 - $80,000 per year
Source: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/careers/conditions/Pages/nurses-and-midwives.aspx. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates apply for AHPRA registration as a Midwife and typically enter NSW Health Transition to Professional Practice programs. Career pathways include Midwifery Group Practice (caseload midwifery), homebirth practice (with appropriate insurance and credentialing), midwifery educator, lactation consultant (IBCLC) and clinical midwife consultant roles. Postgraduate options include Master of Midwifery, Graduate Certificate in Lactation, and Master of Nursing for dual nurse-midwife endorsement.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students passionate about woman-centred care across pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period
- Those willing to work shift hours including on-call for births
- People with strong people skills and clinical resilience
- Students comfortable with the Continuity of Care commitment to 20 women
- Those happy to manage clinical placements alongside academic study
It is probably not for you if
- Students unable to commit to the unpredictable schedule of birth attendance
- Those uncomfortable with high-stakes clinical scenarios and emotional content
- Anyone unwilling to do shift work and on-call placements
Careers this leads to
Australian career pathways that name this Bachelor of Midwifery as an entry route. Each page shows uni, TAFE and apprenticeship alternatives.
Related courses at ACU
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the Australian Catholic University handbook and on UAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/acu/bachelor-of-midwifery.