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Midwifery Program Requirements

2004 Core Completion PhotoCertificate in Midwifery

Prerequisites: see Prerequisites for Midwifery Program under Application Process.

Certificate in Midwifery consists of:

49 credit hours in Midwifery Core Courses
26 credit hours in Midwifery Supplemental and Elective Courses
20 credit hours in Apprenticeship Credit
95 credit hours of coursework

Students who do not wish to meet the General Education Requirement to receive the B.S.M. credential have the option of receiving a “Certificate of Midwifery.”

To graduate with a Birthingway Certificate in Midwifery, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Completion of all coursework (homework, class presentations, exams). See MIDWIFERY COURSES section for course listing
  • Attendance at all courses with no more than one unexcused absence per term per course, or a total of two per term, and no more than four unexcused absences per academic year
  • Documentation of midwifery skills practice and assessment on College approved forms.
  • Demonstration of “Midwifery Integration,” an oral exam that demonstrates the candidate’s ability to weave together judgment, knowledge, skills, clinical assessment, decision-making, perceptions, and intuition into appropriate action plans
  • Successful completion of written comprehensive exam; student may substitute NARM exam for the in-house exam
  • Complete the “Completion of Graduation Requirements” form with an advisor
  • Complete the “Application for Midwifery Certificate” and pay a $100 fee
  • All financial obligations to Birthingway paid in full

Clinical requirements:

  • Participant – 25 out-of-hospital births
  • Participant – 5 hospital births
  • Participant – 25 prenatal exams
  • Primary Role – 25 births
  • Primary Role – 75 prenatal exams, including 20 initials
  • Primary Role – 25 newborn exams
  • Primary Role – 40 postpartum exams
  • Continuity of Care on 15 supervised primary clients

Bachelor of Science in Midwifery

Prerequisites: see Prerequisites for Midwifery Program

Bachelor of Science in Midwifery consists of:

30 credit hours of General Education
49 credit hours in Midwifery Core Courses
26 credit hours in Midwifery Supplemental and Elective Courses
20 credit hours in Apprenticeship Credit
125 credit hours of coursework

The Midwifery Degree program consists of all the requirements of the Certificate in Midwifery (see above) and the following General Education Requirements:

General Education Requirements

To receive a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery degree, students must complete 30 semester credit hours or equivalent of General Education requirements. Students must document with an official transcript from an accredited college program, the following coursework with a grade of at least C/2.0:

  • six semester hours of English Composition
  • six semester hours of Humanities: language, literature, philosophy, religious thought, fine arts (not emphasizing performance skills)
  • six semester hours of Social Studies or Sciences: anthropology, cultural geography, general history, religious history and culture, economics, political science, general psychology, sociology
  • six semester hours of Natural Sciences: biology, biological physiology, chemistry, physics, geology and physical geography, mathematics
  • six additional semester hours in any Humanities, Social Studies or Natural Sciences coursework

According to State of Oregon standards, liberal arts and sciences do NOT include “professional and vocational courses” such as agriculture and forestry, wildlife management, architecture and design, business and public administration, communication (journalism), computer technology, education, engineering and related technologies, health professions, home economics, law, library science, military science, parks and leisure studies, physical education and recreation, protective services, or religious services. Also NOT included are artistic performance or physical activity courses, nor practical and general information courses such as personal health, career planning, human relations, public speaking, writing, elementary mathematics, and computer fundamentals.

The above requirements are in semester credit hours. If you are transferring credits from schools using quarter hours, multiply the above requirements by 1.5. If you are transferring credits using other systems (units, clock hours, etc.), please contact the Student Affairs Coordinator for assistance in planning your program.

 Length of Program:

There is no time limit to complete the midwifery program. Students must be registered as a core or extension student from the date of matriculation to completion. The classroom portion of the program is designed to be completed in three years, by registering for the core, supplemental, and elective courses in the recommended sequence.

Birthingway recommends that students begin apprenticeships in the first term of the second year. Students who begin an apprenticeship at that time, register for apprenticeship credit, and attend an average of two births per month, would be able to complete their clinical training requirement within the three year time frame.

While designed to be complete in three years, most students take longer than three years to complete the midwifery program. Birthingway’s program is flexible, allowing students to individualize their educational path and take as long as necessary to graduate. The length of time it takes to complete depends on many factors including:

  • whether the student attends full time or less;
  • the size and availability of the type of midwifery practice desired as a preceptor site;
  • personal life events, such as having a baby, getting married, etc.

Midwifery Program course credits expire after 7years. Please see our Student Handbook for more details.


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