Department of Midwifery
The Department of Midwifery offers two degree programs: the Master of Science in Midwifery (MSMW), a three-year direct-entry clinical training program leading to certification and licensure in some jurisdictions; and a Master of Arts in Maternal-Child Health Systems (MA-MCHS), a one-year specialized graduate curriculum for experienced midwives and other qualified maternal-child health professionals who seek training in education, policy work, or research, that encourages innovation in maternal-child health care systems.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Midwifery is to educate and inspire leaders in midwifery and maternal health systems.
Equity Statement
The Bastyr Department of Midwifery recognizes that systemic inequity results in poor pregnancy and birth outcomes, including higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and deaths of mothers and babies, in addition to many other adverse health outcomes. Individuals, families, and communities experience discrimination and systemic oppression based on race, ethnicity, economic status, formal education, ability, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, citizenship status, and other identities.
We also recognize that midwives have always been an integral part of the fabric of the human community. We believe in the strength of the community midwife model and believe that midwives from the community are most often the best maternity care providers for the community. Regrettably, the midwifery profession as it stands in the U.S. today does not adequately serve the whole human community.
To that end, the Bastyr Department of Midwifery affirms our responsibility to all families to participate in the ongoing work of creating an inclusive learning environment where students feel welcomed, represented, supported, and safe; where midwifery students learn to care for all families in a way that is culturally affirming and respectful; where maternal-child health systems students learn the leadership skills necessary to transform the existing health system; and where our commitment to social justice is woven into every facet of our program.
We demonstrate these commitments by engaging in anti-racism training for all faculty and staff in the Department of Midwifery and committing to the ongoing, lifelong work of dismantling racism in the personal, institutional, and systemic realms. Our students also receive in-depth coursework to prepare them to engage in anti-racism work, and they build upon this further through an examination of their own cultural beliefs and values in learning to serve effectively across social differences. We continue to integrate and teach the histories of midwives from many cultures and communities. Our students receive training in health disparities and in the social determinants of health and in the current structure of our maternal health systems. We strive to provide a learning environment that is gender-inclusive by providing faculty development resources and curriculum content that aims to teach about the interplay between sexual identity, gender identity, pregnancy, and birth.
We commit to this work through ongoing examination of our institutional practices for equity in recruitment of students, admissions, and hiring of faculty. We seek to remain accountable to marginalized communities through involvement in equitable curriculum development, content, delivery, and assessment of learning outcomes of our graduates. We work to support organizations led by underrepresented groups in our community with our time and financial resources. Our mission is to educate and inspire leaders in midwifery and maternal health systems, and we do this within a social justice framework.
We also adhere to the relevant nondiscrimination and harassment policies of Bastyr University.