College FAQ

Can I come visit the school?

Yes! To schedule a tour of the school call the College office at 503-760-3131. We also encourage potential applicants to sit in on a session of a Core class - just let us know in advance when you would like to come, so we can arrange it with the course instructor.

How do I get to Birthingway?

We are located in Southeast Portland, on Foster Road just before 122nd Avenue. Our address is:

Birthingway College of Midwifery
12113 SE Foster Rd.
Portland, Oregon 97266

Bus Service: TriMet line #71 stops just past Birthingway on Foster Rd. Line #10 stops at 122nd Ave. You can plan your trip online at the TriMet Website

To drive here from Portland International Airport:

• Take Airport Way east to Interstate 205
• Take I-205 South to Exit 17 (Foster Rd)
• At Foster Road, go left (East)
• Continue going east on Foster for about one mile
• Birthingway is on the left (North) side of the road in a two story white house, 12113 SE Foster. There is a sign out front. Parking is in the rear.

Google Map

Admissions and Graduation

How do I enter the midwifery program and when does it start?

Admission to our program is by application and we admit students once per year. The application deadline is October 15th, with the new class starting Spring term.

How do you decide who gets admitted?

Because there is very limited space for students, we take our application process very seriously. Student acceptance is determined by the Admission Committee, which is made up of current students, faculty, staff, and the college Student Affairs Coordinator. Applicants are chosen based on their answers to the application questions, their personal interview, their prior academic and life success, and the need for midwives in their area or culture.

I do not have a high school diploma - can I still attend your school?

No, you must have a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED) to attend Birthingway.

What is the difference between graduating with the degree and the certificate?

The certificate shows that you have completed the midwifery components of the program at our school – you are prepared to become a practicing midwife, become nationally certified, and become licensed in Oregon state. Completion of the degree means that, in addition to the above, you have met the requirements (General Education, etc.) of an undergraduate degree and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery (BSM).

Birthingway is nationally accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) and authorized to offer the BSM degree by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization. Use of the BSM degree to meet entry requirements of graduate-level programs at other schools is always at the discretion of the receiving school, and generally depends on comparability of curricula, and may depend on comparability of accreditation.

Why do you have prerequisites?

We feel that the prerequisites help students to become familiar with some aspects of midwifery, so that when admitted they will already have some idea whether midwifery is right for them and have a strong base of knowledge on which to build their future learning. In addition, the writing prerequisite allows students to all begin the program with the same foundation of written communication skills.

Classes, Credits, and Training

Do matriculated students get preferential course registration?

Core courses are reserved for students in their matriculation year, while all other classes are "first come, first served." The Community Registration Start-Date is set a little later than that for matriculated students, in order to give students a chance to enroll in classes they may need to graduate. However, no student is "bumped" from any class - once a community student is registered, they will not lose their place to a matriculated student.

What is the difference between core, supplemental, and elective classes?

Core classes are open only to students admitted to the midwifery program and meet on the same day and time throughout the three years of the program - they are considered the "core" of the midwifery program and are designed to be completed sequentially.

Supplemental classes are open to non-admitted students, may be taken at any time, and are scheduled as demand and opportunity allow.

All core and supplemental classes must be completed in order to graduate.

Elective courses are similar to supplementals in that they are open to non-admitted students and may be taken at any time. The difference is that only 3 elective courses need to be taken to complete the program. Electives are courses such as "Spanish for Midwives" that are valuable, but the necessity of which depends on the midwife's interests and choice of practice.

Why dont you use the term Apprenticeship to describe clinical training?

Apprenticeship is a term that has been used traditionally in midwifery to describe the period of specialized clinical training with an experienced midwife. Because of this tradition, Birthingway has in the past referred to the student-preceptor training portion of the Midwifery Program as an “apprenticeship”. Much of the midwifery community continues to use this language. However, in many states, including Oregon, the term “Apprenticeship” is used legally to mean a period of paid training in specific, approved industries. For this reason, Birthingway is moving away from use of this language. The college now uses the terms “Clinical Training” and “preceptorship” in lieu of “Apprenticeship” to describe the period of unpaid, clinical training in which a student midwife works with an experienced midwife.

Financial Matters

How much does the midwifery program cost?

Cost of Attendance

The cost to attend Birthingway is different each year. These costs are calculated based on our recommended course sequence and may not reflect your actual costs of attendance. The cost to live in the Portland area is an estimated amount used to calculate eligibility for financial aid. The current figures include $6946 for room/board, $2605 for transportation, and $4920 for personal expenses per academic year. Birthingway does not offer student housing. Individual student costs may vary depending on lifestyle choices and personal living arrangements.

Cost of Attendance for 2010-11 Academic Year

	Tuition and fees	Texts, equip.	Total
1st year	$15,171	$ 1,255	$ 16,426
2nd year	$ 17,321	$    396	$ 17,717
3rd year	$ 16,274	$   279	$ 16,553
Total	$ 48,766	$ 1,930	$ 50,696

The cost to live in the Portland area is an estimated amount used to calculate eligibility for financial aid, which is approximately $6,667 for room/board, $2,484 for transportation, and $3,922 for personal expenses per academic year. Individual student costs will vary depending on lifestyle choices and personal living arrangements.

What kind of financial aid do you offer?

Birthingway is approved to offer Federal Student Aid ("Title IV funds"). We participate in the Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, Oregon Opportunity Grant, and Direct Loan programs.

As a Title IV school, we are authorized to accept Americorps as long as the student submits a valid Voucher and Payment Request Form. We are also approved by the Oregon State Department of Education to train veterans and are listed as an eligible training provider with the Oregon Department of Workforce Development.

General Education

Can I count a transferred class towards both my General Education and Midwifery program requirements?

No, transferred courses may meet either the Midwifery component or the General Education component of coursework, but not both. i.e. a genetics course can either replace GN421 OR count towards your Natural Sciences requirement in General Education, but not both. (Prerequisite courses are different - see above.)

Do I have to complete the General Education requirements for the degree before admission to Birthingway?

You don't have to, but we strongly recommend it. It's practically impossible to attend Birthingway full time, as well as another school even part time. Some students complete them after their coursework at Birthingway, but since by this time most students are already in midwifery practices as assistants or primary midwives, it can be difficult to attend another school while working and on-call.

Do you offer General Education courses at Birthingway?

It is outside our scope to offer a full selection of General Education courses here at Birthingway. Currently, we offer Human Anatomy & Physiology that may fulfill the Natural Sciences general education requirement. Most students attend at least one year an accredited 2 or 4 year college and transfer in their general education courses.

I already have a Bachelor Degree. Do I have to complete new courses to meet the General Education requirements?

Not if courses you took for your first degree meet the General Education requirements. When you apply to the midwifery program, send us transcripts from all the schools you've attended, including the school you graduated from. We'll process your transcript just like any other.

The General Education requirements are so broad! Can you just tell me which classes I should take?

These requirements are broad so that students have some freedom in choosing their courses. Although we're happy to tell you if a class can meet one of our requirements, we don't like to limit student options by dictating which specific classes they "should" take.

What are the General Education requirements?

General Education is a requirement for students in our Bachelor degree program. They are non-midwifery classes in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and English Composition. Although these classes may not seem important to a career in midwifery, they give students a greater understanding of the world around them, further their ability to think critically, and improve skills for expressing their thoughts. Students are required to complete 45 quarter credits of General Education, with a minimum of 9 credits in each category, the equivalent of their Freshman year in college.

Out of State/Distance

Do you have a distance or online program?

We're an entirely on-site school and have no distance programs. However, clinical requirements (clinical training credit and client care documentation) don't have to be completed in the Portland area, or even in Oregon, as long as they're completed with an approved preceptor.

I want to practice in a state other than Oregon. Can I go to your school?

You're very welcome to attend our school! But, it's up to you to determine the legal status of midwifery in your state. We've assisted many students with this process, although until we've worked with a particular state, we can't be certain that education at Birthingway will meet its licensing requirements.

We're approved by the states of Alaska, California, and Washington as an educational site for state licensure. If you're planning to practice in one of these states, you'll need to complete some additional clinical work prior to graduation. Your advisor can assist you in planning your program.

I want to practice in another country. If I graduate from your school, will my credentials be valid there?

We would be very happy to have you at our school, although we can't guarantee that an education at Birthingway will meet your country's requirements. Legal codes related to midwifery vary vastly between countries (and sometimes between provinces within a country!) We're happy to provide information on the education provided at Birthingway for you to pass on to your country's credentialing body.

Birthingway is currently unable to sponsor student visas. If you're not a US citizen, you need to already legally reside in the United States in order to attend our midwifery program. You should not need a student visa to attend our Labor Doula, Postpartum Doula, or Childbirth Educator certification, because these are short-term programs of less than 18 hours per week. For these programs, you should be able to travel on a regular visitor visa. (Check with your local US Embassy or Consulate, or go to the US Department of State's Visa Site for more information.)

Transfers

Can I transfer Birthingway credits to another school?

Transfer of credit from Birthingway to other programs is always at the discretion of the receiving school, and generally depends on comparability of curricula, and may depend on comparability of accreditation.

Birthingway is nationally accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) and authorized to offer the BSM degree by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization. We recommend checking with the registrar at the college to which you plan on transferring.

I already have some births/clinicals. Do I still have to complete the same number of new births to graduate?

Not necessarily. Although we cannot award retroactive Clinical Training Credit, if your previous births were properly supervised by a midwife who meets our preceptorship requirements, and all births are well documented, we may be able to allow some to count towards your clinicals for graduation.

I attended college in another country. Can I transfer my courses?

Yes, your classes are eligible for transfer as long as your school is accredited by a recognized accrediting body. Classes will still need to meet all our other transfer requirements.

I have already studied midwifery at a different school – can I transfer my classes?

It depends on the school and the classes. We don't usually let students transfer into the middle of the program, although we make exceptions on an individual basis.

Due to state regulations, we're only able to accept credits in transfer from accredited two and four year colleges. If you have coursework from a midwifery school that doesn't meet our transfer requirements, you can attempt to receive credit through our Life Learning Portfolio program.