General Information

The Bachelor of Midwifery is a four-year baccalaureate degree program that prepares its graduates to provide comprehensive, evidence-based midwifery care to essentially healthy women throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care to six weeks. Midwifery care is premised on a partnership model in which women fully participate in decision making. Midwives address the physical, socio-cultural and emotional needs of clients, provide supportive teaching and counselling, function in the community and in hospitals and collaborate with other health professions as needed. Program graduates will be prepared to meet established standards for registration and function safely within the Canadian Competencies for Midwives including their own responsibility within the context of the Alberta and Canadian health care systems.

The program is offered over four Fall and Winter academic years with required Spring Semesters. Students completing all degree requirements will be awarded a Bachelor of Midwifery (BMid) degree from Mount Royal University.

Policies Relative to Midwifery Practice Experience

Students must demonstrate satisfactory clinical performance as delineated in each course syllabus.

Students entering field/practicum placements will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement requiring them to maintain strict confidentiality regarding any client information or data.

Students will be familiarized with the Standards of Conduct set out by the College of Midwives of Alberta under the Alberta Health Professions Act prior to clinical placements.

Students must achieve an Experiential Pass (EP) in all clinical placement courses. An Experiential Pass will be equivalent to achievement at the 73% level. The requirements to be met for a grade of EP will be delineated in each course syllabus.

Clinical placements will include scheduled and on-call hours that will include days, nights and weekends. Placements from across the province and potentially from outside the province will be utilized for student experience and many sites may be distant from Calgary. Students will require access to a vehicle and to technologies that allow frequent and regular communication with the Midwifery Program. All travel and accommodation costs associated with practice experiences are the responsibility of the student.

The Midwifery Program reserves the right, at any point, to remove a student from a clinical placement or laboratory setting if the student exhibits unsafe clinical practice or behaviour that places clients or others at risk and/or violates the Standards of Conduct of the Health Disciplines Act. Such removal will result in the student receiving an F grade and may result in dismissal from the Program.

Academic Performance Requirements

In matters of program continuance, there are instances when institutional processes do not fully address concerns related to student progress or continuance in a program. This applies in the following circumstances:

1. Violations of a professional code of ethics and/or standards of practice (i.e. Midwifery Code of Ethics). A committee established by the program will assess violations of relevant codes and standards and whether the student will be required to withdraw from the program based on the seriousness of the violation.
2. Students who are unsuccessful after two registrations in the same core course (as defined by the program) will be required to withdraw from the program. This includes but is not limited to the following examples of unsuccessful registration:
   • Students who do not achieve the minimum required grade (as defined by the program) in one or both registrations;
   • Students who earn a grade of “F” in one or both registrations; and
   • Students who withdraw from the course with a ‘W’ in one or both registrations.
3. Students who are denied a practicum placement by an external stakeholder because of an assessed detrimental impact on the client, client group, or community being served. Students who are unable to meet clinical or field course requirements on this basis will be required to withdraw from the program.

In order to be considered a continuing student of record in the Bachelor of Midwifery Program, the student must achieve a minimum overall C+ average with no course grade below a C in all required core courses exclusive of GNED courses. An ‘EP’ (Experiential Pass) grade is required for all MDWF clinical courses. To be eligible for graduation, the student must achieve a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.3.

A grade below a C in a required core course or an EF (Experiential Failure) in a MDWF clinical course must be cleared by repeating the course before a student may progress to any further courses. Students whose overall average falls below C+ must complete additional courses to achieve the minimum average.

Students are permitted one re-registration in the same required midwifery program course (a course with the prefix MDWF, BIOL, HLTH, INTS). That is, students are not allowed more than two grades below the minimum pass or two withdrawals in the same midwifery program course, nor are they permitted one withdrawal and one grade below the minimum pass within the same midwifery program course. Students who are unsuccessful after two registrations in the same midwifery program course will be required to withdraw from the program (RTWP). An appeal process is available. Refer to the student handbook for information related to the appeal process.

A student who has been RTWP may apply for readmission to the University no sooner than twelve months after receiving notification of the RTWP. The application for readmission must be submitted in accordance with the application deadline for new students as specified by the Academic Schedule published in the Academic Calendar. The applicant must meet the program admission criteria that are in place at the time of readmission, but the applicant will not be required to meet the competitive average. The application for readmission will include a reintegration plan. Detailed information about the reintegration plan can be found in the student handbook or may be obtained from the program’s academic advisor. Readmission is not automatic. Applications for readmission will be considered on an individual basis. Readmission to the program will be granted one time only.

Regulations

Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the policies and procedures of Mount Royal University as outlined in the Calendar and the Code of Student Conduct.

Duration of the Program

Program requirements for degree completion can be completed in four academic years. Students have eight calendar years from the date of initial registration in the Bachelor of Midwifery Degree to complete all requirements. Students seeking an extension beyond eight years may be required to complete additional course work.

Interruption of Program

Students who interrupt their program are advised that they will be required to comply with regulatory guidelines that may have come into effect, in the interim, in regard to their program and requirements. Students will be required to re-apply for admission and notify the Chair of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at Mount Royal University in writing by March 15 of their intention to return for the following Fall Semester or by October 1 for the following Winter Semester.

Opportunities for Further Study

The Bachelor of Midwifery degree credential does not guarantee either eligibility for, or admission into, graduate and professional programs. Graduates must meet the individual universities’ admission requirements in a competitive process. Students considering graduate school or professional schools are encouraged to investigate their postgraduate educational plans with an academic advisor at the institution in which they are seeking to enrol.

Students With Disabilities

When warranted, and without compromising academic and professional midwifery practice standards, Mount Royal University will provide reasonable accommodation for the students with documented disabilities. Students need to fulfill program requirements to be eligible for graduation.

Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination

Students will be eligible to write the Midwifery Examination upon satisfactory completion of all degree program requirements. Students are responsible for all costs related to the examination.

Police Information Check

Provincial legislation requires that new employees and volunteers in publicly-funded agencies, including hospitals, are subject to a Police Information Check (PIC) that includes a Vulnerable Sector Check. In some cases, agencies may require students to provide proof of a police information check prior to commencing a clinical course. All costs related to the police information check are the responsibility of the student. If a student is denied a clinical placement, due to concerns resulting from the check, then the student will be unable to meet course requirements and will be required to withdraw from the program. Refer to the statement regarding Police Information and other background checks in this calendar.

Immunization

Proof of up-to-date immunization status is required for all professional practice courses and is the responsibility of the student. All associated costs are the responsibility of the student. Failure to maintain a current immunization status will result in immediate withdrawal from the clinical practice area.

Additional Pre-practice Requirements

Additional pre-practice requirements must be completed in each year of the program. All associated costs are the responsibility of the student. The program will provide students with more information on these requirements. 

General Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements indicated in the Admission  section of this calendar, applicants must also satisfy the following criteria:

Academic Course Requirements

Admission is competitive and preference is given to applicants who have the highest average based on the conditional admission criteria for each admission category. In addition to meeting the general admission requirements, the following specific courses (or equivalents) with the specified minimum grades are required for admission into the Bachelor of Midwifery program:

• English Language Arts 30-1 - 65%
• Biology 30 - 65%
• Chemistry 30 - 65%
• Mathematics 30-1 or 30-2 - 65%

Although Conditional Admission may be granted in advance of receipt of final/official transcripts, confirmation of the achievement of specified minimum grades will take place after all final/official transcripts have been received by the University. Applicants who do not meet these minimum grade requirements will be denied admission.

Additional Criteria - Fall 2020

Selected applicants will be invited for an interview that will assess the qualities deemed important in a prospective health professional such as communication and critical thinking skills.

Additional Admission Criteria - Fall 2021

Mount Royal University’s Bachelor of Midwifery program has limited enrolment and admission to the program is highly competitive. As a result, all applicants will be required to complete a mandatory online computer-based assessment called CASPer as a component of the selection process. CASPer scores will be used to differentiate between applicants when there are more highly academically qualified applicants than seats available in the program.

Minimum Overall Average Required for Admission

To be eligible for admission on the basis of High School or Mature standing, applicants must present a minimum admission average of 70% on their five required and appropriate grade 12 subjects for high school standing and four required subjects for mature standing. To be eligible for admission on the basis of Post-secondary standing, applicants must present a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.50 on the eight most recently completed post-secondary courses (minimum 24 credits).

Application Deadline: February 1

The application for admission and all supporting documents (required for admission assessment) must be received by this date.

Indigenous Student Admission

Each year 10% of the seats in the Bachelor of Midwifery program will be reserved for Indigenous applicants through an Indigenous admission target. To be considered for admission under the Indigenous admission target, the applicant must:

1. self-identify as an Indigenous applicant on the Application for Admission
2. meet the definition of an Indigenous Applicant
3. meet the minimum admission requirements as indicated in the general admission requirements for Mount Royal University as well as any program level admission requirements

Designated seats for this special consideration target will be filled by Indigenous applicants on a competitive basis. Applicants are encouraged to apply during Early Admission. Any unfilled designated seats will be released on June 15 to students applying under the general admission requirements.

See general admission requirements in the Admissions  section of this calendar for further information.

Transfer Credit Assessment

Transfer credits towards Mount Royal Midwifery (MDWF) courses will be limited to courses that have been successfully completed within seven years from the date of initial registration in the student’s original midwifery program. All Midwifery Core courses will not be eligible for transfer credit if taken more than seven years ago. BIOL 1220  and BIOL 1221  will not be eligible for transfer credit if taken more than seven years ago.