Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery)
The Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery) provides an accelerated pathway to becoming a midwife for students who have an existing Bachelor’s qualification and are registered health professionals.
Applications for 2025 have now closed. The next intake will be 2026.
Why study the Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery)?
Join the University of Waikato as we work to address the serious shortage of midwives in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our innovative new graduate-entry midwifery programme allows registered health professionals to transition to a rewarding new career in midwifery.
This programme has been developed in close partnership with local midwives and maternity service providers. It provides a flexible and accessible pathway to becoming a midwife that recognises your previous skills and experiences, and enables students to work part time during their study.
The Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery) degree has been designed to attract new students to the midwifery profession. It aims to make our world-leading model of maternity care available to everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Please note that spaces are limited, and we require applications before the 31st August in the year prior to your intended start year.
All applicants will go through a selection process - for more information, see our tips for applying for our clinical programmes.
Degree information
Select a tile for more information. The Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery) is not available for international students as you need to be a registered health professional in New Zealand under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 to apply.
International tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for international students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
International tuition costsScholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 10 January 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
On successful completion of the Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery), graduates will be able to:
- Embed the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi into their practice as kahu pōkai | midwives, appreciating its relevance in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand's healthcare system.
- Provide culturally and clinically safe care to women/persons, babies and whānau across diverse settings, including preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care
- Integrate mātauranga Māori and other worldviews into their midwifery practice, recognising the importance of cultural knowledge in promoting health and wellbeing of women/persons, babies and whānau, and ensuring the provision of safe and respectful care.
- Combine cultural and clinical knowledge with effective communication to assess, diagnose, plan, provide, and evaluate care, including prescribing treatments and medicines as qualified.
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the physiological processes that support wellbeing, and identifying and addressing complexities that may arise in their midwifery practice.
- Integrate understanding of taha hinengaro | mental health and emotional wellbeing of women/persons whānau within the childbearing experience.
- Collaborate effectively with whānau, other kahu pōkai | midwives, and relevant health and social services, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary skills and the ability to make timely referrals and implement emergency care when necessary.
- Uphold the tikanga / quality and safety of midwifery care by actively seeking feedback from women/persons and whānau, promoting cultural safety, providing continuity of care, and building effective interprofessional relationships, while engaging in reflective practice and ongoing professional development.
- Respond to the diverse health needs of women/persons, babies and whānau, including in sexual and reproductive health and infant care, appreciating the importance of ongoing education to ensure contemporary practice as kahu pōkai | midwives.
- Contribute to the advancement of midwifery through research, conducting audits and implementing quality and safety improvements.
Practical experience
You will undertake clinical placement throughout the programme in a variety of settings (a minimum of 1,350 hours to meet Midwifery Council requirements). Within each trimester, there are both teaching and clinical blocks. Download the 2025 timetable showing scheduled weeks for on campus or on clinical practice (Note: may be subject to change).
Please note, once you are enrolled in the Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery), you will also need to complete further tasks prior to commencing clinical placement. These are to meet the requirements set down by the Midwifery Council for registration as a midwife in New Zealand.
You will need to:
- show you meet the immunisation standards of practice for healthcare professionals in New Zealand by having the Immunisation Screening Form completed and signed by a GP.
You may also require a current first aid certificate (depending on registration body).
Career opportunities
Graduates of the Master of Clinical Practice (Midwifery) will be eligible to apply for registration with the Midwifery Council.
They will be well-prepared to practice both in the community as Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives or in hospital and birth centres as core midwives. Graduates who begin working as midwives in New Zealand will be required to complete the Midwifery First Year of Practice (MFYP) programme administered by the New Zealand College of Midwives. This requirement is the same as that for graduates of the existing Bachelors pre-registration midwifery programmes.