Master of Primary Maternity Care

In the context of primary maternity care, graduates of the Master of Primary Maternity Care will have specialist knowledge of:

1. the historical and current socio-political, cultural and economic context of maternity service provision
2. the scientific and theoretical evidence for the development of women centered models of care
3. the role of the midwife including knowledge of the legal, social, ethical, organisational and scope of practice implications and considerations for effective and informed specialist practice and professional role development
4. the contemporary concepts of health leadership and management and project and financial management relevant to health services including standards, policies and legislation associated with primary care
5. cultural diversity and its impact on practice
6. research outcomes and the evidence-base that informs quality and safe practice in maternity and primary care
7. research processes and methods including study design, data collection and analysis as well as scholarly writing and publishing.

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be prepared to design and deliver primary maternity care and women's health services within a wellness model.

Graduates will be recognised for their expertise and ability to apply professional knowledge and skills in maternity care. They will possess high levels of skills and knowledge in the following areas:

• Legal, professional and ethical issues in practice
• Synergy in practice to meet current and future maternity reform agenda
• Interactions of cultural diversity and their implications for practice
• Principles of partnership working
• Effective midwifery care and service provision.

Higher education

Basis of Admission: Higher Education OUAEntry requirements based on OUA study.

While the Master of Primary Maternity Care is mainly designed for registered midwives, it is also available to other health professionals in the maternity services sector.

All applicants seeking to undertake the Master of Primary Maternity Care must hold:

• a Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in a suitable professional health practice discipline such as midwifery, medicine, nursing or social work from a recognised tertiary institution with a GPA of 4.0 or above
• OR a Graduate Certificate in Primary Maternity Care from Griffith University (students will be eligible for 40 credit points of advanced standing and will be required to complete 80 credit points in the program).

English Proficiency Requirements

English language requirements apply to International applicants and other applicants whose previous study was undertaken in a language other than English. The minimum English language requirements for such applicants for entry to this program are as follows:

• A minimum overall band score of 7.0 on IELTS (Academic) with no sub-score of less than 7.0
• OR a minimum score of 580 on TOEFL
• OR an internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score of 92 (no score less than 22)
• OR no score less than 4 in each skill of the ISLPR (conducted by ISLPR Language Services only)
• OR a minimum overall score of 185 (no score less than 176) on C2 Proficiency (formerly Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English)
• OR an overall score of 65 in the Pearson Test of English (Academic) with no score less than 65.

English test results must be no more than two years old.

The Direct Entry Program (DEP) pathway is not accepted for this program.

The above requirements are HIGHER than those stipulated in University policy. Applicants should refer to the English language requirements section of the following policy for further information:

• Postgraduate Programs Admission Policy

Reduce the time it takes to finish your degree. You can apply to Griffith to recognise your prior learning, including:

• Formal learning through courses completed at uni and TAFE.
• Informal learning through workplace experience or volunteer training.
• Non-formal learning through social experiences and hobbies.

The Master of Primary Maternity Care will involve the development of high levels of research knowledge and skills to enable graduates to analyse the evidence, determine the applicability of evidence to practice, generate critical questions and conduct research. Graduates will contribute to the development of best practice through the acquisition and generation of research that supports evidenced based maternity care.

Recommended Study Pattern

As a guide, core subjects in this degree can include:

• Primary Maternity Care in Context
• Enhancing Critical Skills for Midwives
• Changing Childbirth: Service Design and Implementation
• Prescribing for Midwives

Plus there’s a selection of electives to choose from. As part of your application, you’ll be guided through how to get the right degree structure in place for you.

Award Requirements

To be eligible for the award of the Master of Primary Maternity Care (MPrimaryMaternityCare), a student must acquire 120 credit points as prescribed below:

• Standard pathway:
  • gain 70 credit points for core courses;
  • gain 10 credit points for a research elective course;
  • gain 40 credit points for listed elective courses.
• Dissertation pathway:
  • gain 60 credit points for core courses;
  • gain 10 credit points for a research elective course;
  • gain 10 credit points for a listed elective course;
  • gain 40 credit points for dissertation courses.