Midwifery extends far beyond the act of catching babies and the demands of unpredictable schedules; it often cultivates individuals who become dynamic business entrepreneurs and passionate political activists. For many, it evolves into a profound lifestyle and a core aspect of their identity. The journey to becoming a midwife is deeply personal, and the unique experiences encountered along the way shape the very essence of the midwife they become. Aspiring midwives should anticipate a significant personal transformation, one that inevitably involves a degree of growing pains.

The student midwife’s path will require intensive academic and clinical engagement while navigating the complexities of political landscapes, social dynamics, logistical hurdles, and personal challenges. When the regular rhythms of life, such as expanding families, shifting family roles, partnership transitions, and financial fluctuations, are added to this, students may question their commitment to midwifery education. MCU strongly encourages students to continually reflect on their motivations and to discuss them with their families, to reaffirm their powerful “yes” to midwifery. This is not a commitment to be undertaken lightly; it demands careful consideration and steadfast intention.

MCU is dedicated to supporting students throughout this transformative process by offering intensive personal and academic advising and a supportive network of ongoing peer-to-peer interaction. The College is committed to identifying and guiding students through the barriers to becoming a Certified Professional Midwife. MCU actively collaborates with national professional organizations to address these challenges at every level.

A significant factor in many students’ choice of MCU is its thoughtfully designed distance education model, specifically created to accommodate the needs of non-traditional students who prefer or require remaining within their communities during their education. While the flexibility of the program and the accessible online learning platform provide considerable advantages, they also present unique challenges in maintaining student retention and completion rates that might be less pronounced in traditional brick-and-mortar or hybrid educational settings. 

MCU follows best practices in higher education around retention and completion. MCU has dedicated a committee focused on retention and completion to help consistently track interventions, policies, and any factors that may affect retention and completion. This data will be used to guide any future implementations to ensure retention and completion efforts are improved. Some of the challenges we have identified and strategies we have implemented to improve retention and completion rates are:

• Challenge: The cost of education can be prohibitive

  Solution: MCU’s continued approval to administer federal financial aid and military veteran benefits provides pathways for midwifery education to populations previously unable to pay for school out of pocket.  MCU has administered Title IV funds since January 2013 and VA funds since 2011. Students also have the option to take out private education loans to assist with tuition, books, school supplies, or the cost of living.  In 2011, after a beloved member of the MCU Community, Briana Blackwelder, had her life cut short, a scholarship fund was established in her name and has been supporting 2 to 6 students with full tuition each year and many others with awards to cover their tuition for 1 trimester. We also maintain a curated list of outside scholarships available for students on our website and share new opportunities as they become available. In addition, MCU offers monthly payment plans that are customizable to add more flexibility for students.  Retention rates have improved dramatically since this barrier has been removed.

  Students are encouraged to assess their financial circumstances and carefully consider the long-term implications of acquiring significant debt to fund their education, balancing this against their immediate financial requirements.

• Challenge: A distance education model is less conducive to a student feeling engaged in the institution. Students don’t necessarily move through the program as a cohort, so the stress points are very individual.
  Solution: To engage students more holistically and to build a community of belonging, all students are assigned to virtual dorms, aka “houses”. Each house is staffed by an advisor known as a “house mentor,” whose role is to provide continuity of care throughout the student’s tenure at MCU, within a smaller peer community. This program has grown to include five Undergraduate Houses and one Graduate Student House.  Small group interactions lead to a more cohesive peer-support network. The house mentor is available to guide the student through individual stress points, assist with navigational and organizational support, provide information and resources for student success, while monitoring student academic and clinical progress.

  The Director of Campus Life focuses on creating a sense of belonging and connection within the alumni and student community.  This includes supporting student affinity groups and school-wide connection events.

• Challenge: Online learners are challenged to maintain consistent engagement and study habits to ensure graduation occurs within the programs’ stated time frames.
  Solution: MCU’s distance-education course delivery methods are designed to support students’ ability to stay engaged in the program and maintain momentum and progression.  Weekly participation in each course is required through peer-to-peer bulletin board posts or online lectures and class discussions.  Assignments are completed in a synchronous and/or asynchronous manner to help students progress in the class and engage with a community of peers. Progression through course materials mirrors the student’s hands-on clinical skills training through on-site clinical placements. Through verbal and written feedback, faculty members mentor students as they gain knowledge, skills, and behaviors inherent to a Midwife of Excellence ™.  We constantly review the data from our program and implement new initiatives that support progress to graduation.  For example, MCU reviewed course completion data and adjusted the policy around late assignments to reflect the increased course completion rates of a late assignment policy.  Our comprehensive multi-modal method of education consistently proves itself; for the last three years (2022, 2023, 2024), 100% of MCU eligible graduates have passed the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)

• Challenge: Creating a virtual campus that goes beyond creating a sense of welcoming, but in fact, an equitable space for all.
  Solution: MCU is committed and intentionally ensures the values of justice and fairness by developing actionable policies, processes, and practices that comply with applicable laws and the community rules of caring. MCU is committed to establishing an equitable and welcoming atmosphere by continuing to cultivate our student affinity groups. These groups are to increase student engagement, academic support, and professional development.

  The Student Success team is committed to fostering an equitable environment by respecting and honoring students’ diverse cultural, spiritual, and ethnic values. In designing impactful and culturally relevant programs and services, careful consideration is given to content and delivery to ensure students feel valued, heard, and experience a strong sense of belonging.

Job Placement

MCU graduates nurture a culture of collaboration as they demonstrate cultural humility, diversity, and inclusivity in the ways they choose to practice midwifery and effect global social change.  MCU alumni are affecting global social change as midwives or in a related field in the United States, Canada, Hungary, Cambodia, Ireland, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.  MCU graduates continue to engage in multiple different ways of midwifery practice.  While some of our graduates have small, private practices, others are in partnership or group practices.  Many have started birth centers.  In addition, MCU graduates lead state and provincial midwifery organizations and are key players in creating midwifery legislation.

From January 2020 through December 2024, 139 students graduated from MCU with a degree in midwifery. Of the graduates from 2023 through 2024, 72% of our graduates were planning to work in an underserved community. Given the autonomous nature of midwifery practice, the Midwives College of Utah does not guarantee employment upon program completion. However, MCU actively supports students in defining their professional midwifery goals by exploring their desired future practice settings and facilitating the development of a comprehensive business plan to ensure sustainable business operations. Due to the College’s strong reputation within the midwifery community, MCU frequently receives job postings from midwifery practices seeking qualified graduates. These opportunities are disseminated to alumni and students through the College’s social media channels and the ‘MCU in Review’ publication.

Updated 5.2025