General Information
The Bachelor of Midwifery Program is a four-year baccalaureate degree program that prepares graduates for professional careers as Registered Midwives. Students will benefit from a comprehensive, evidence-informed curriculum on midwifery care of pregnant individuals and their families during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period.
The program is offered over four Fall and Winter academic years with required Spring semesters. Students who complete all degree requirements will be awarded a Bachelor of Midwifery Degree (BMid) from Mount Royal University.
Graduates of the BMid program are caring, competent, accountable, and ethical primary care practitioners. Graduates meet the competencies to practice midwifery autonomously and collaboratively within an interprofessional healthcare team. Graduates have entry-level midwifery knowledge, skills, and attributes that assist in providing safe, individualized care for birthing people and families. They adhere to evidence-based practice and regulatory standards to co-create a midwifery care plan that meets the needs of care recipients. Graduates will have knowledge of and the ability to work within the scope of midwifery practice defined by the College of Midwives of Alberta. Graduates are focused on providing appropriate person-centred care independently or within the multidisciplinary team, leading to optimal antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal outcomes. This requires that each graduate recognizes the depth and limitations within the midwifery scope of practice.
Requirements for Midwifery Practice Experience
Students will be familiar 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 entering field/practicum placements will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement requiring them to maintain strict confidentiality regarding any client information or data.
Clinical placements will include scheduled and on-call hours, including days, evenings, nights and weekends. Placements from across the province and potentially from outside the province may be used for practical experience and many sites may be distant from Calgary. Students will require access to a vehicle and technologies that allow frequent and regular communication with the Midwifery Program. All travel and accommodation costs associated with practice experiences are the student’s responsibility.
As delineated in each course outline and syllabus, students must demonstrate satisfactory clinical performance.
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 Professions 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:
a. Violations of a professional code of ethics and/or standards of practice (i.e. College of Midwives of Alberta). 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.
b. 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.
- Students who withdraw from the course with a ‘W’ in one or both registrations.
c. 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, NURS, 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, Code of Student Conduct and the Bachelor of Midwifery Student Handbook.
Program Duration
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 coursework.
Program Interruption
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 School of Nursing and Midwifery at Mount Royal University in writing by March 15 of their intention to return for the following Fall 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 prepared to meet the standards and competencies for midwifery registration and practice to provide care within the Albertan and Canadian health care systems.
Students will be eligible to write the Canadian Midwifery Registration 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 Admission Criteria
The Bachelor of Midwifery program has limited enrolment and admission to the program is highly competitive. As a result, all applicants are required to complete additional non-academic requirements offered by Acuity Insights. The results of these non-academic requirements will be used to differentiate between applicants when there are more competitively qualified applicants than seats available in the program.
Applicants should refer to TakeAltus.com to create an account and register to complete the assessments listed for the Mount Royal University Bachelor of Midwifery Program (i.e., Casper). There are specific dates when applicants can complete Casper and these are listed at TakeAltus.com. These are the only dates available, and applicants must select Mount Royal University for distribution before the posted Distribution Deadline. Visit the Acuity Insights website for further information on this process.
No exceptions will be provided for applicants who are unable to complete the additional non-academic admission requirements before the listed deadlines.
Minimum Overall Average Required for Admission
To be eligible for admission on the basis of High School or Mature, 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:
a. self-identify as an Indigenous applicant on the Application for Admission
b. meet the definition of an Indigenous Applicant
c. 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.
