Article
Midwifery Degree Entry Requirements
Last reviewed: September 2026
Midwifery degree entry requirements vary between universities, courses and years of entry. An Access to HE Diploma can provide a Level 3 route for adult learners, but it does not replace the other conditions set by the university. Read the exact course page before enrolling and record the requirements that apply to your intended intake.
Requirements to check
| Requirement | What to check for the midwifery degree |
|---|---|
| Access qualification | Whether the university accepts the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Science Professions) for that course and intake. |
| Graded credits | The required number of Level 3 credits and the Pass, Merit and Distinction profile. Some universities state a credit profile rather than a single overall result. |
| Subject content | Whether the course requires particular Biology, Health, Social Science or other Access units. Compare the requirement with the units in your learning plan. |
| UCAS Tariff | Whether the offer uses a Tariff points total, and whether the Access Diploma is included among the accepted qualifications. Points do not replace a required subject or credit profile. |
| English and Maths | The required GCSE or Level 2 qualification and grade. Functional Skills are accepted by some universities but not all. |
| Science | Whether a separate Science GCSE or another Level 2 science qualification is required. Do not assume that Access Biology removes this condition. |
| Selection | Whether there is an interview, values-based assessment, written task, Multiple Mini Interview or another selection stage. |
| Experience | Whether the university requires, recommends or simply welcomes health, care, maternity or other relevant experience. Check what evidence it wants and how it will be assessed. |
| Professional checks | DBS, occupational health, immunisation or fitness-to-practise requirements connected with the degree and its placements. |
The formal qualification title
Academy Online Learning students should use Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Science Professions) when entering the qualification on UCAS or contacting a university. “Access to Midwifery” describes the intended progression route. The Access Diploma is a QAA-recognised, nationally recognised Level 3 qualification awarded through Skills and Education Group Access.
The Diploma prepares you for university study; it is not a midwifery qualification and it does not lead directly to registration. Midwifery registration requires completion of an approved programme and meeting the NMC requirements for becoming a midwife.
Access grades and UCAS points
An Access to HE Diploma normally contains 60 credits, including 45 graded Level 3 credits and 15 ungraded credits. A university may specify a combination of Merit and Distinction credits, a Tariff points total, or both. Use the Access to HE UCAS points calculator to understand a points total, but compare the result with the full offer wording.
A points total does not confirm that a university accepts your Diploma subject or units. Check the course page for the exact midwifery degree and intake.
Applying while studying
Most Access to HE students apply while completing the Diploma for entry in the following academic year. Unfinished qualifications and units are entered on UCAS as pending, including completed units that have not yet been through moderation. Academy Online Learning can provide an academic reference and, where appropriate, information about your progress, completed units and grades achieved to date.
Universities may make a conditional offer based on completing the Diploma with a specified grade profile, subject content or other conditions. They set their own admissions processes, so ask about a point only after reading the published requirements and only where the information is missing or unclear.
Before enrolling
- Choose the universities and midwifery courses you may apply to.
- Save the current entry requirements for the intended intake.
- Check the accepted Access title, subject content and grade profile.
- Check GCSE English, Maths and any Science conditions.
- Check interviews, experience, DBS and occupational health requirements.
- Ask admissions only about requirements that the course page does not answer.