Two new postgraduate degrees will be offered by the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2016 – one focused on creative writing and the other on creating quality care for new mothers and their babies.

USC’s Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) is a one-year program that will be available to registered midwives from Semester 1 next year. It will focus on clinical practice and enable registered midwives to research contemporary health issues.

Program coordinator Dr Rachel Reed said new maternity care models and services throughout Australia now required advanced midwifery roles.

“There is an increasing demand for evidence-based maternity care,” Dr Reed said.

“The new Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours) will offer registered midwives the opportunity to develop their skills in research, critical thinking and leadership, and will support midwives to meet the demand for quality maternity care in our region.”

Producing quality writing forms the basis of the new Master of Professional Practice (Creative Writing) program that will be introduced in 2016.

Program coordinator and renowned author Associate Professor Gary Crew said emergent writers would benefit greatly from the degree.

“The new program offers them the opportunity to create original material under the supportive editorial supervision of experienced published writers, while minimising theory and maximising practice,” Dr Crew said.

The program provides an alternative postgraduate degree to a research or academic orientated path, and can be completed in one year with the option of online studies.

USC will introduce a range of new study programs in 2016, including a Bachelor of Serious Games, a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Criminal Justice double degree and a Bachelor of Environmental Management. For more information go to usc.edu.au/rise-and-shine.

— Megan Woodward