Midwifery is a specialised health profession focused on providing evidence-based care to women and families across the full continuum of pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postnatal period. Midwifery courses in Australia are accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), and graduates are eligible to apply for general registration as a midwife with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), allowing them to practise legally anywhere in the country. Programs combine rigorous theoretical study in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and women's health with extensive hands-on clinical training in hospital and community maternity settings, preparing students to work confidently and safely from day one.

Australian midwifery courses are available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The standard pathway for those new to healthcare is a three-year Bachelor of Midwifery, which focuses entirely on maternity care and includes over 1,000 hours of clinical placements. For registered nurses seeking to extend their scope of practice, Graduate Diploma and Master of Midwifery programs offer an accelerated route to registration, typically requiring concurrent employment as a student midwife in a hospital maternity unit. Postgraduate midwifery courses are offered across most states and territories, making the profession accessible nationally.

Graduates work across a wide range of public and private employers, including major metropolitan maternity hospitals, regional birth centres, community health services, rural and remote health services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations, private midwifery practices, research institutions, and universities. Key employers include state and territory health departments, large hospital networks, private hospital groups such as Ramsay Health Care and Healthscope, and community-based maternity services. The profession sits squarely within Australia's healthcare sector — one of the country's largest and fastest-growing industries.

For undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programs, entry is primarily based on ATAR (or equivalent interstate selection rank), with scores typically ranging from the high 60s to the high 90s depending on the institution and state. Most programs require completion of Year 12 with an English subject (Units 3 & 4), and it is strongly recommended that applicants have studied at least one science subject such as Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. English language proficiency is a mandatory requirement set by ANMAC; domestic applicants who have not completed at least six years of schooling in English in an approved country may be required to achieve an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with no band below 7.0, or an equivalent result in an accepted alternative test. Alternative entry pathways exist for students who do not initially meet ATAR requirements, including transfer from first-year study in a related degree based on GPA, as well as pathways for diploma of nursing students and qualified enrolled nurses.

For postgraduate programs such as Graduate Diplomas and Master of Midwifery, entry typically requires current registration as a Registered Nurse (Division 1) with AHPRA, a Bachelor of Nursing or equivalent qualification, and concurrent part-time employment as a student midwife within a hospital maternity unit. Applicants are usually required to attend a formal interview with a midwifery program representative and/or a health service representative to demonstrate commitment to the program requirements. Some programs may also consider applicants who have completed a Master of Nursing pre-registration program or hold an overseas nursing qualification deemed equivalent.

All students — at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels — must meet additional clinical placement requirements before beginning any health-related placement. These typically include a current National Criminal History Check (valid for the duration of the course), proof of immunisation, a Working with Children Check where relevant, and current first aid certification. International students must also satisfy visa and academic equivalency requirements in addition to all standard English language and ANMAC standards.