Become a Midwife (from anywhere!)

NOW ENROLLING FOR JULY 2015

Our 3-year Certificate in Holistic Midwifery program emphasizes evidence-based care, holistic health and community leadership. Through online classroom participation and supervised clinical training, students receive high-quality, competency-based instruction from international teachers with the support of a midwife preceptor at home.

Curriculum combines the Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice as defined by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) with complementary and alternative approaches to maternal and newborn health, placing emphasis on leadership and equity and exploring gentle birth and respectful maternity care in comparison to technological and intervention-based models worldwide.

Graduates are equipped to provide high-quality, family-centered maternal health care services to low-risk clients in out-of-hospital settings, including private birth centers and independent home birth practice.

Required Coursework

Students are required to complete a total of 5600 contact-hours as follows:

Midwifery Sciences

48 quarter credits/1440 contact-hours

Complementary & Alternative Health

48 quarter credits/1440 contact-hours

Leadership & Personal Development

24 quarter credits/720 contact-hours

Supervised Clinical Practicum (Apprenticeship)

2-Years/2000 contact-hours

Please refer to the Birth Institute Course Catalog for more details.

Optional Coursework

Global Track

Holistic Midwifery students who choose to study abroad as part of the 3-year program will have an opportunity to explore the midwife’s role in global maternal health through volunteer placement, shadowing international midwives. Study Abroad coursework may be completed prior to starting the 3-year Holistic Midwifery program, or during the third year. 300 contact-hours of online coursework will be applied toward the leadership and personal development requirements for graduation and a tuition credit will be applied to the student’s final invoice. Note: Volunteer placement at an international facility does NOT count toward the supervised clinical practicum requirement.

Learn more about Study Abroad options.

Time Commitment

Full Time: The estimated time commitment for full-time students is 40+ hours per week, year-round. This assumes that the student follows the online courses in sequential order (10 credit hours per quarter) for the duration of the program and begins their supervised clinical practicum during the third quarter (approximately 6-months into the program).

Part Time: Students may choose to complete online coursework prior to beginning supervised clinical practicum. This assumes that the student follows the online courses in sequential order (10 credit hours per quarter) for 3-years and begins their supervised clinical practicum during fourth year. Total time to graduation is 5-years.

Cost

Tuition* (matriculating students) $135 per credit hour

Tuition* (non-matriculating students) $160 per credit hour

Transfer Evaluation/Specialized Learning Plan $400

Change of Graduation $250

Please download our tuition brochure for a summary of tuition, fees and payment options.

*Tuition is subject to a 7-10% annual increase and will be fixed based on the date of enrollment for up to 3-years.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must have a high school diploma (or equivalent), a cumulative average GPA of 2.75 for all previous coursework and a minimum of 3-months educational, volunteer, or work experience in women’s health, maternal health, complementary and alternative health or related fields.

Application Process

 Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. A maximum of 30 students will be accepted each year. Students who have participated in Birth Institute Study Abroad programs will be given priority standing in the admissions process. Applicants who receive an offer of admission are required to submit a deposit of $1,500 to guarantee placement.

Ready to apply?  Please visit the online application for instructions.

Becoming a Licensed Midwife

Birth Institute is an academic institution and does not oversee licensing or regulation of midwives. Requirements vary by country and region. Students are responsible for understanding and following regulatory requirements for out of hospital midwifery in their state, province or country.

Students who complete their supervised clinical practicum in the United States will be eligible to sit for the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) examination, conducted by the North American Registry of Midwives.


“I am thankful for the experiences gained through this journey in midwifery and appreciate Birth Institute for facilitating this space for personal and professional development.”

— Holistic Midwifery Student