Midwifery (MS, Adv. Certificate)

Why Earn an MS in Midwifery?

Midwives have cared for birthing women since the beginning of human history. Today, midwives are independent, licensed professionals. They are educated at SUNY Downstate at the graduate level. Midwives provide full scope care to birthing persons, families, and communities. They work within the health care system, collaborating with physicians, social workers, nutritionists, nurses, and other health care providers and specialists as the need arises. 

Why Earn an MS in Midwifery at SUNY Downstate?

Midwifery is a cornerstone practice at SUNY Downstate: Our program's roots go back to 1932, when the nation's first formal educational program for midwives began. Today, we are recognized nationwide for providing excellence in education, strong clinical experiences for students,  innovation, and diversity. SUNY Downstate developed the first integrated program in the United States for people with nursing licensure and those from a great variety of professional and educational backgrounds. 

The program emphasis its relationship to the community Downstate serves. Although our graduates can and do provide midwifery services in all settings, our particular focus is on urban, underserved  populations, many of which include large numbers of immigrants and/or persons of color. In any given year, Black, Latinx or Asian students represent 30 to 70 percent of the midwifery program’s student body. 

What You Will Learn

• This graduate-level program prepares you to become a safe beginning practitioner, meeting standards set by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
• You'll learn to provide prenatal care; labor and birth management, postpartum care; gynecologic, reproductive, and sexual health care; primary health care; and care of the newborn. Midwifery’s focus is on health promotion and disease prevention but midwifery often continue to provide care, collaborating with other health care professionals, if complications arise.  
• All students take the 40-credit core midwifery curriculum, which includes classes examining all phases of pregnancy, postpartum care, pharmacology and more. Master's students also take classes in research, education, and health care policy.
• Graduates are prepared to take the national certifying exam administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board.
• The MS in midwifery track  is designed to be completed In three years and the Advanced Certificate in midwifery track, available to those students who already hold a related graduate degree, is a two year program.