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Master degree in Midwifery

«With the MSc in Midwifery, we offer you an exciting and contemporary degree programme. You will learn to further develop your competencies as a midwife in an evidence-based, needs-oriented manner and to analyse and optimise conditions for high quality obstetric care.»

Dr. Astrid Krahl, Head of the MSc in Midwifery Programme

The MSc in Midwifery is a consecutive Master’s programme in Switzerland that can be completed as a full-time or part-time course of study.

Three good reasons for a Master of Science in Midwifery

  • This Master’s degree programme is designed to prepare midwives for the role of advanced practice midwife (APM) in specialised practice as well as positions of leadership, in research, and in teaching.
  • Midwives with a Master of Science degree are capable of serving as midwifery experts, researchers, and educators, as well as managers. They develop solutions to the many challenges in interdisciplinary obstetric health care and promote midwifery-led care for women and their families.
  • The Master of Science in Midwifery is designed to meet the growing demand for highly qualified midwives with an expanded set of skills and in-depth expertise. The degree is internationally recognised and paves the way to a PhD at universities in Switzerland and abroad.

Admission requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery from a university in Switzerland or abroad
  • A midwifery diploma (Hebamme HF) with additional qualifications, such as an NTE (nachträglicher Titelerwerb) post qualification
  • Good knowledge of scientific work and clinical assessment
  • Good knowledge of English

Additional information on entry requirements

From MSc in Midwifery to Advanced Practice Midwife

This degree program provides you with specific specialist knowledge as well as in-depth scientific competencies and prepares you for the role of Advanced Practice Midwife (APM). In this role, you will analyse and deal with complex obstetric situations, develop family-oriented care concepts, and actively participate in processes of change in the health care system. You will also be able to work on clinically relevant research questions and coach as well as supervise staff in various processes.  

As a midwifery expert, you ensure that women and their families receive the best possible care according to their needs and the current state of knowledge.

In research and development as well as teaching, you convey evidence-based content. You initiate and evaluate the further development of the profession both on a practical and scientific level.

In a leadership position, you help to shape the quality of care for women and their families as well as the working conditions of the staff you work with.

“To ensure that midwives can fully realize their potential in promoting health care and design coordinated care models, they need advanced clinical abilities as well as research and leadership skills. A Master’s degree programme provides them with a practically oriented set of tools to further develop the quality of obstetric care with a family-centred approach.”

Elisabeth Kurth, Dr. phil., Lecturer in the MSc in Midwifery programme, practising midwife and Director of Familystart beider Basel.

Structure of the MSc in Midwifery programme

The Master’s programme in Midwifery is weighted at 90 ECTS credits. It has a modular structure consisting of four module groups: “Praxisfelder und Kompetenzen” (practice fields and competencies), “Advanced Practice”, “Forschung” (research), and “Masterarbeit” (Master’s thesis). For each module, students are usually awarded five ECTS credits.

The study programme can be supplemented with practical experienced gained abroad to earn an additional 10 ECTS credits, which are documented in the Master’s certificate.

As a full-time course of study, the programme takes four semesters to complete. The part-time course of study takes six semesters. If desired, the full-time course can be completed in just three semesters.

The languages of instruction are German and, partly, English.

Profession-specific and interprofessional

At the Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, the Research Centre for Midwifery Science and the Master’s programme work closely together. As a result, current research priorities are embedded in the academic programmes and reflected in the module content.

The MSc in Midwifery programme has four profession-specific focus areas:

The interprofessional modules enable students to acquire competencies that exceed their profession-specific knowledge. Jointly with students in the Master’s programs in Nursing and Physiotherapy, they complete modules with a methodological and research-specific content.

As a student, this partnership with other study programmes will enable you to strengthen your understanding of your profession and acquire advanced competencies in communicating and collaborating with other professional groups.

Double-degree programme with Universität Witten/Herdecke (UW/H)

A double-degree agreement between ZHAW and Universität Witten/Herdecke opens up new career paths for nursing professionals and midwives.

One study programme, two degrees: Nurses and midwives who are interested in earning a Master’s degree and could imagine studying in Germany or in Switzerland can enrol in a new double-degree programme from the winter semester 2021/22 offered by ZHAW in Switzerland and Universität Witten/Herdecke (UW/H) in Germany.

Postgraduate doctoral studies

A Master of Science in Midwifery entitles you to earn a doctorate opening up further perspectives in research and teaching. The doctoral program "Care and Rehabilitation Sciences" offers you a postgraduate course of study in which you will acquire advanced knowledge of the principles and methods of research at a university level and get the opportunity to conduct a research project.

At a glance

Degree: Master of Science Hebamme ZHAW / Master of Science ZHAW in Midwifery

Workload: 90 ECTS

Duration of study: six semesters (part-time), three or four semesters (full-time)

Start of the course: September (calendar week 38)

Registration deadline: 31 May

Language of instruction: German, some English

Tuition fees: CHF 720 per semester