Nurse Midwifery

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Apply and submit all application requirements

The Nurse-Midwifery Program has two annual admission pools. Most students should consider the Feb 15 application deadline for fall admission. Applications are due by November 15 for Spring admission.  The Nurse-Midwifery Program clinical sequence is a fall start.

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• Official transcripts from all current and previous colleges/universities must reflect undergraduate courses in health assessment, nursing research and statistics (including inferential analysis).

• Three completed recommendation letters prepared by previous or present employers and teachers familiar with graduate education in nursing.

• A resume and written statement of professional goals, including reasons for pursuing graduate study.
• International applicants only: TOEFL score or other acceptable proof of English proficiency.
• An interview is required for applicants.
• All applicants must be registered in the United States as a professional nurse. Graduates of nursing schools in foreign countries must successfully complete the certification program administered by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools and must be licensed in Wisconsin.
• GRE not required.

• Applicants to the Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) program should have graduated with, or be about to graduate with, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program with an upper division major in nursing.
• The required minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.000 on a 4.000 scale is required for the M.S.N. Science GPA of 3.0 is recommended. For graduates of foreign nursing schools, a formal evaluation of their nursing program of study documenting equivalency to a U.S. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree must be submitted.
• Prior to or during the first term of study, all Master of Science in Nursing applicants must have taken undergraduate nursing research and a statistics course which included inferential analysis (must be completed within 5 years of program start date). If the time period of 5 years has been exceeded for the statistics course, it may be possible for applicants to demonstrate proficiency by examination through an approved testing source (list of approved examinations available from the College of Nursing). Applicants who select an advanced practice nursing specialization must have taken an undergraduate course in health assessment.
• Unencumbered Registered Nurse license to practice in the United States. A Wisconsin or eNLC license is required at the time of admission. For students in the Indiana program, an Indiana R.N. license is required.
• Clinical experience requirements – practice as a professional nurse recommended but not required.
• BCLS from the American Heart Association, which must be maintained during all programs.

I think I want to be a nurse-midwife. How can I be sure that’s the right field for me?

We suggest you start by exploring the American College of Nurse-Midwives’ website. If there are certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in your area, we recommend you contact them and seek an opportunity to observe (“shadow”) them in practice. Nurse-midwives have the satisfaction of caring for women throughout the lifespan and are considered specialists in women’s health and fostering normal birth.  Midwifery often requires long, irregular hours of work, but it can be a very fulfilling career. Becoming a nurse-midwife requires academic ability in both the sciences and ‘people-oriented’ subjects.  It takes determination to complete the rigorous program of study.

If you wish to meet the nurse-midwifery faculty to discuss the profession further, they generally hold an open house in the afternoon of the first Monday in December. If you wish to be invited, you will need to send an e-mail to Dr. Karen Robinson, CNM, Program Director [karen.robinson@mu.edu]. Remember to include all your contact information.

What academic background do I need for the Nurse-Midwifery Program?

Everyone entering the nurse-midwifery program must be a nurse. However, there are unique requirements for those entering the MSN program with BSN degrees and those who have completed bachelor’s degrees in other fields  but need to become nurses (MSN Program for Non-Nursing Graduates, also called Direct Entry/GEM).They are explained on the College of Nursing website under Academic Programs. MSN Graduate school admission requirements for the Nursing MSN programs are also explained on the following website.

Do I need to be a licensed RN before applying to the Nurse-Midwifery Program?

If you are in your last year of nursing school, have recently graduated, or are in the Direct Entry program, you may apply now. It is possible to be admitted to the program contingent on passing the NCLEX-RN licensing examination, for which you will need to provide proper documentation of your success before actually beginning the NMP courses. A Wisconsin nursing license is required.  If you wish to participate in clinicals in Illinois, an Illinois license will also be required.

I will have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree by the end of summer, but I won’t have taken Statistics, including Inferential, by that time. Could I apply anyway, and take my last prerequisite class during my first semester at Marquette?

If you have not completed all your statistics prerequisites, you will have to be admitted on a contingent basis until you have successfully completed the needed course and submitted the official transcript. We can provide you with a list of acceptable statistics courses that are available at Marquette and other universities. It is possible to take statistics during your first semester of enrollment in the NMP.

I have earned a master’s degree in Nursing already. Can I do a post-master’s program in Midwifery?

Yes. The actual number of classes you take will depend on what courses were included in your master’s program. Plan to discuss this with the Nurse-Midwifery Program Director, Karen Robinson PhD, CNM, FACNM, around the time of your admission interview,  bringing your transcript(s) and course descriptions. Your program plan will be individualized including planning for transfer or waiving of select credits upon review. Upon program competition you will receive a post-master’s certificate in nurse-midwifery.

I am an international student. Do I need to demonstrate my proficiency in English?

Yes. Beyond Wisconsin licensure, there are other requirements. For more information, please refer to Graduate School Bulletin on the topic.

Do I need work experience as a registered nurse to qualify for the Nurse-Midwifery Program?

It is recommended, but not required, that you have at least one year of maternal- child health related nursing experience. When we admit program candidates who do not have this experience, we encourage them to seek employment as RNs in labor and

delivery settings as soon as possible. This allows them to gain essential experience while they are students in our program. If students do not obtain employment in Labor and Delivery, they will be required to take 2 credits of clinical for the Summer course NURS 6751 that provides basic intrapartum knowledge and nursing related skill development. These two credits are in addition to the 1 credit theory portion of this course (Advanced Concepts in Labor Support) that all Midwifery students take.

I won’t have time to apply for the Midwifery Program starting this fall.  Could I apply to Marquette as a non-degree student, take Master of Science in Nursing core courses now, and apply for the Midwifery Program for the following year?

It may not be to your advantage to take many courses before being admitted. Taking courses as a non-degree student does not guarantee admission. You need to go through the whole admission process to become eligible for the specialty classes and clinical work. The University also discourages earning many credits non-degree because it does not guarantee you can apply them to a degree program later. In fact, transferring in credits to the program is limited, as described in the Graduate Bulletin in the alphabetically listed transfer of credit policy and in the non-degree status description.

I live far from Milwaukee. How much of the coursework is online?

The Nurse-Midwifery Program is hybrid-online. This means that each of the midwifery specialty courses includes both in-class and asynchronous internet-based interactions among faculty and students. The Midwifery courses are scheduled on campus 4-8 times a semester, depending on the course. There are also many clinical hours that occur in the mixed didactic and practicum courses in the NMP. Generally, the nurse-midwifery specialty coursework is completed on-line, once weekly basis, with required readings accessible through Marquette's e-Learning platform called Desire2Learn (D2L), a web-based tool which facilitates and supports online education. On-line learning software allows you to remain at home, access course materials, and interact with your classmates and professors via web-based classroom discussions in an easy to use format. The Nurse-Midwifery Program also includes 8 core and foundational MSN courses and 6 nurse-midwifery specialty courses. Some of the core and foundational courses are also hybrid online. Each course at Marquette has its own D2L course site with facilities for interactive communication, secure submission of student assignments to faculty. Easy reference to all their course materials is a common positive expressed by students when working online.

Tell me more about Class Schedules

Students need to plan to come to the Marquette campus several days per week and also be available for significant clinical time that increases progressively throughout the final two years of the program. We attempt to cluster days that SNMs need to be on campus when possible.

Where do students do their Nurse-Midwifery Program clinicals?

Marquette faculty arrange the clinicals for the students in our program. Nurse-midwifery students generally do clinical work at various nurse-midwifery practices throughout Wisconsin. While some student nurse-midwives (SNMs) do part of their clinical training in the Milwaukee area or near their homes, all students should plan on traveling to gain clinical experiences during the course of the program. Participating in clinical in a variety of settings enables our students to gain exposure to rich learning experiences. Our wide geographic network of clinical settings and our online coursework offerings make distance learning possible for students. We schedule clinical practica with consideration of SNMs’ competencies, class requirements, the unique characteristics of each nurse-midwifery service, and preceptor faculty time availability. Travel to clinical sites is at the student’s expense, but it is possible to work with the Associate Program Director, in charge of clinical placements to attempt to schedule some clinical time near family or friends when possible.

How long is the Nurse-Midwifery Program?

The NMP contains 49 total credits. Marquette defines full-time attendance as a minimum of 7 graduate credits per semester. A three-year plan, is considered optimal for students entering with a BSN who plan to work. The Nurse-Midwifery clinical courses occur in a set sequence in the final two years of the program. You may spread the pre-clinical courses over two or more years (part-time).  However, during the final program year, you would need to attend full-time to complete your studies, due to significant clinical time required. Therefore, it is important for you to consider all aspects of your life, including work and family, when making the decision to attend the program. Similarly, know that your admission offer guarantees you a place in the clinical sequence for a particular class cohort and that the CNM faculty monitor this closely.

How many students are accepted annually in the Nurse-Midwifery Program?

Class size can become a limiting factor in the number of admissions each year. If one clinical class is full, we will work with you to see if you can be admitted into the clinical sequence beginning the next year. However, there is no way to predict future class sizes and it is possible that changing your plan & clinical sequence could necessitate that you need to delay until there is an opening for you in the clinical sequence of courses. Therefore, plan carefully about when you wish to begin and finish the program to stay on track. Always discuss any possible alterations in your official program plan with the Program Director Karen.Robinson@marquette.edu.

Kathlyn Albert, DNP, CNM, FNP-BC - Program Director

Lisa Hanson, PhD, RN, CNM, APNP, FAAN, FACNM- Associate Program Director

Kathryn Harrod, PhD, RN, CNM

Karen Robinson, PhD, RN, CNM

Graduate school is an important investment in your future career. The university sets & publishes in the Graduate Bulletin, available online, the tuition, fees, and relevant refunds at this direct link. The College of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook has additional health requirements and a background check; it is also available online.

Given the costs, it is important to consider how you will finance your degree program. Financial aid is available to eligible students. The Graduate Bulletin explains the options for assistance at the following link. The graduate nursing student financial assistance options are noted in the College of Nursing Graduate Student Handbook.. In addition, the midwifery professional organization, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) also has suggestions on financing your education.