Midwifery AUTUMN

Exchange courses in Midwifery

A programme for international exchange students who have obtained at least 120 ECTS in Midwifery, on bachelor level. The language of communication is English.

Before arrival students of the department PXL-Healthcare have to submit

• a report in English of their blood sample results stating that the student is immune to Hepatitis A and B
• a recent negative result for the intradermal Tuberculosis control. If necessary, a TB-control will be done in Hasselt upon arrival.

All healthcare students will have a general health check before starting the placement.

AUTUMN 2026

*This course is obligatory for all students (autumn).

** Organised from 31/08/2026 until 04/09/2026 + evening seminars throughout the 1st semester

Language courses 

Course content 

For official course catalogue information check the course catalogue: Course Catalogue 2026-2027 (available from june 2026).

Below you can find a description of the course contents.

The Internationalist

This course welcomes incoming students as well as those preparing for an internship or study abroad. Over the span of several weeks, we meet to strengthen our intercultural awareness, intercultural competence, and overall critical-thinking abilities. Through a variety of interactive teaching methods, we create a dynamic learning environment that builds on the intercultural experiences and skills students already possess. 

Three guiding principles shape the entire learning process.

• The first is critical thinking, encouraging students to question assumptions, analyse multiple perspectives, and reflect on their own interpretative frameworks.
• The second is the ethics-of-care principle, emphasizing that good care (care that is restorative and meaningful) is fundamentally relational. Students explore how attentive, compassionate connection forms the basis of professional practice.
• The third principle, Think Global, Act Local, invites students to link global issues of diversity and inequality to concrete situations in clinical practice, integrating multi-perspectivity into their daily professional decision-making. 

The course is offered in an interprofessional context, bringing together students from Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Midwifery, and Creative Therapy. This interdisciplinary setting enriches dialogue, supports collaboration across professional identities, and highlights the diverse realities of caregiving in contemporary practice. 

Throughout the course, students are encouraged to become aware of the many layers and dimensions of diversity in both domestic and international workplaces, to examine their own behaviour and understand the role of implicit bias, to question their personal value systems, and to develop communication skills for engaging with people from different cultural and social backgrounds. They are invited to initiate a lifelong process of learning and critical reflection. 

Students complete several individual and group assignments, including writing an academic paper, creating a short film, keeping a reflective diary, and delivering presentations. Together, these tasks support the integration of theoretical insight, practical application, and personal growth within an interprofessional, ethically grounded, and globally engaged learning trajectory. 

Professional Midwifery Practice for International students, part 1  

Within this module the student becomes familiar with the midwifery care in Belgium.

In this work placement the student trains obstetrical skills on the different work areas of the midwife. The accent lays on professional attitudes, knowledge and building up experience in obstetrical skills, coaching parents and become a part of the team. The student has to become more independent, trains in decision-making, risk selection and coaching.

During the clinical processes the student is accompanied by a different midwife-mentor during the apprenticeship and by a practical training supervisor from PXL.

Attention is paid to integration of the theory into practice. This happens by means of the systematic draw up of training reports.

The module is ten weeks in length:

• One week (30 hours) of introduction and preparation. This includes an introduction, information about the internship, preparation for the internship (for example and medical check-up) and practical training in the classroom (for example Simmom training together with the regular students).
• At least three weeks (90 hours) internship at a labour ward and delivery room where the student can have the opportunity to assist with a delivery.
• Six weeks (180 hours) of internship at other wards or midwifery settings. This can be a variety of work areas, for example: maternity ward, gynaecology ward, prenatal consultations, postnatal consultations with an independent midwife, fertility clinic, neonatal ward, maternal intensive care unit, labour ward and delivery room.
• During these ten weeks the student has to make two training reports. Within this report the student illustrates a specific situation, integrates the theory in this specific situation and makes a critical reflection about the midwifery practice in Belgium and the midwifery practice in the home country.

Professional Midwifery Practice for International students, part 2

Within this module the student becomes familiar with the midwifery care in Belgium.

In this work placement the student trains obstetrical skills on the different work areas of the midwife. The accent lays on professional attitudes, knowledge and building up experience in obstetrical skills, coaching parents and become a part of the team. The student has to become more  independent, trains in decision-making, risk selection and coaching.

During the clinical processes the student is accompanied by a different midwife-mentor during the apprenticeship and by a practical training supervisor from PXL.

Attention is paid to integration of the theory into practice. This happens by means of the systematic draw up of training reports.

The module is four weeks in length:

• Four weeks (120 hours) of internship at other wards or midwifery settings. This can be a variety of work areas, for example: maternity ward, gynaecology ward, prenatal consultations, postnatal consultations with an independent midwife, fertility clinic, neonatal ward, maternal intensive care unit, labour ward and delivery room.
• During these four weeks the student has to make one training report. Within this report the student illustrates a specific situation, integrates the theory in this specific situation and makes a critical reflection about the midwifery practice in Belgium and the midwifery practice in the home country.

Sexual Health 

This course explores the broad concept of sexual health and its overall impact on general well-being. In addition to the foundational principles of sexual health, the course places particular emphasis on challenges related to physical and intellectual disabilities, chronic or psychiatric illnesses, and major life events such as pregnancy and the postpartum period, divorce, or the loss of a partner. 

Teaching methods combine theoretical lectures with practical components, including clinical reasoning and communication exercises. The course is organized as an interprofessional intensive one-week Summer School in September, supplemented by evening seminars throughout the first semester, offering students an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of sexual health within diverse contexts. 

Summer School English

An intensive English language course (held before the start of the other courses) for incoming and outgoing PXL students (+-35 hours divided over 6 weekdays from 9/9 to 16/9).

In order to determine your level you'll have to complete a written intake and an oral intake interview before the start of the Summer School on 8/9 on campus in Hasselt. 

Using authentic material, this course gives you the best possible chance of making the most of your educational opportunities and it provides help in developing essential skills for your career. 

With the focus on general English you will be given the opportunity to practice on:

• Writing reports, essays …
• Giving presentations, seminar discussions …
• Taking notes on the main points of a lectures …
• Understanding main ideas in paragraphs and longer texts …
• Brief recapitulation of the main grammar items…

Survival Dutch

You will learn the basics of the Dutch language so you will be able to take the bus/train, find your way in Hasselt or order a pint in a pub.There is a strong focus on communication, listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents. 

Subjects:

• Meeting and greeting, on the road
• In town: shopping - eating – drinking – washing clothes
• The alphabet, pronunciation
• Numbers, time, dates
• Going out, making an appointment
• Health, going to the doctor and pharmacy.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week. 

English for eXchange

In this course, students learn how to communicate in an international (professional) context. Students work on their general language skills as well as improve their language competences so that they can function in an international working environment.

This course is designed to practice the four communicative skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking by e.g.:

• reading newspaper articles and short stories and understanding the (basic) contents;
• deriving the meaning of selected vocabulary items from a text;
• writing formal/neutral (professional) and informal emails or letters;
• listening to conversations by native speakers and understanding the (basic) contents;
• watching short movie fragments and understanding the (basic) contents;
• expressing one's opinion about topics of general or professional interest;
• having everyday (professional) conversations/performing role plays.

The exact contents of the course is subject to change and is open to suggestions by students. Students extend their vocabulary by reading real life texts, listening to conversations by native speakers and by having conversations and playing role plays.

They study grammar items by doing exercises and will have to put these grammatical items into practice in conversations and in writing.

The lectures will take place during 9 weeks (sept-dec), this with a frequency of 3 hours (evening) a week.