The midwifery program addresses both the art and science of midwifery by integrating theory with clinical experience. Academic courses build knowledge and skills that are necessary for the practice of midwifery through the use of case questions, skills practice labs, role-plays, discussion, student presentations and research projects. The core midwifery curriculum is enhanced by studies in related fields, such as epidemiology, nutrition, pharmacology, genetics, embryology and counseling. All students build a solid foundation in professional issues through courses in understanding and addressing racism, a deep history of the midwifery profession, health policy, legal and ethical frameworks, and how to build a midwifery practice. Students are given the option of completing either an independent master’s project or, for equivalent credits, a specialty track in botanical medicine for midwifery care.

In the Spring quarter of the first year of the program, students layer practicum experience on top of their continuing academic studies. Students hone clinical skills and develop midwifery judgment during clinical rotations with practicing midwives throughout the second and third years of the program. This layering of academic theory with clinical experience creates unparalleled learning opportunities for students in our program.

The attached PDF is the proposed curriculum for students starting in Fall 2018. Please note that changes to the curriculum may still occur before the start of the Fall 2018 academic year. For the 2017-2018 course catalog, click here.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The Department of Midwifery educates midwives with the knowledge, skills and abilities to conform to national and international standards of midwifery competence and to:

1. Practice autonomously in a variety of settings, with a primary focus in home and birth center locations.
2. Provide maternity care, in alignment with the Midwives Model of Care™ that promotes birth as a healthy and normal physiologic process.
3. Function within the health care system, consulting and referring appropriately.
4. Qualify for licensure or registration in a variety of jurisdictions, including certification by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM).
5. Promote midwifery through state, provincial and national professional organizations, political process, research activities and policy development.
6. Work in partnership with the clients they serve in a way that promotes personal responsibility, validates knowledge and experience, and encourages lifelong learning.
7. Be racially and culturally aware providers who can act as agents for equity and justice in their work and life.

Be critical thinkers who can integrate evidence-informed practice and ethical, professional and legal issues into their care of clients.

Modern North American midwives are independent healthcare providers who facilitate the natural processes of pregnancy, labor and birth. They combine traditional skills and modern medical techniques to safeguard normal childbirth, while ensuring access to appropriate interventions when needed. Certified professional midwives most often provide prenatal care in an office setting and attend births in the home and freestanding birth center settings. Professional options include:

• Owning a private practice focusing on birth center and/or home births
• Qualifying for registration in Canada as a midwife who practices in homes, birth centers and hospitals
• Developing or working in a community birth center
• Participating as part of an integrated maternity care team
• Acting as a consultant to conventional medical practices
• Working internationally to teach and provide care
• Serving as a national policy advocate

Midwifery is regulated in more than 30 states through licensure, certification and registration. See a map showing the legal status of midwives across the country.

Graduates of our program are eligible to take the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) exam for registration as a certified professional midwife (CPM). Although the CPM is a national certification, licensure of the practice of midwifery (as with most professions) occurs on a state-by-state basis. In the states that license direct-entry midwives, the CPM credential or the NARM exam is part of the licensure process. Some states require midwifery education from a MEAC-accredited program in order to be eligible for licensure; be sure to investigate what is needed in the area where you hope to practice.