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January 2027 Cohort

One model. Three starting points.

Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery’s Hybrid Direct-Entry Midwifery Program is enrolling its January 2027 cohort, open to residents of Florida, Rhode Island, and California. Wherever you start, you’ll follow the same MEAC-accredited curriculum, the same clinical rigor, and the same commitment to community-rooted, culturally sensitive care.

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Steps to Apply

Submit Completed Application

Admissions Interview

Selective Admissions Decision

Schedule an Admissions Call to Learn More

Prerequisites

  • 1 College-Level Math Course (at least 3 credits)
  • 1 College-Level English Course (at least 3 credits)
  • College-Level Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2
  • 1 College-Level Chemistry (at least 3 credits)
  • Doula Training
  • Lactation Education Training (at least 6 hours)
  • Completion of a 4-hour HIV/AIDS Course
  • CPR Certification & “Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers” (in-person course)
  • Blood Borne Pathogens Certification
  • NRP (completed by end of Year 1)

Where You’ll Train

The academic program is delivered the same way everywhere: online classes via Zoom, with twice-yearly in-person hands-on skills weeks for clinical lab test-out. Clinical training happens locally, in your own community, with a preceptor you help identify with support from our Clinical Department.

Florida

CCSM’s founding home base, with the deepest and longest-standing preceptor network in the program.

Rhode Island

Part of CCSM’s growing Northeast footprint alongside Florida. Clinical placements are coordinated locally with the Clinical Department.

California

For the California cohort, half-day classes are held two days a week via Zoom, with the in-person skills week hosted in Los Angeles. CCSM is actively building its California preceptor network and is approved by the Medical Board of California and BPPE to support students in-state.

CCSM is also collaborating with academic partners on research to understand California’s midwifery workforce needs and to track outcomes for this cohort as it grows — part of a community-led approach to making sure the program reflects what California communities actually need, not a template imported from elsewhere.

Scholarship Opportunities

Internal Commonsense Childbirth Scholarships are available to applicants across all three states, thanks to CCSM’s donors and funders. Eligibility and availability vary year to year — reach out to Admissions for current opportunities.

California applicants have two additional scholarship pathways:

Sacramento County Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI) Midwifery Scholarships — whymidwifery.org/midwifery-scholarships

Californians for the Advancement of Midwifery — Bridget “Biddy” Mason Black Midwifery Scholarships — advancingmidwifery.org/midwifery-scholarship-faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Tuition is $350 per credit. Including administrative, skills, and technology fees, the total estimate is $40,000. Payment plans and scholarship opportunities are available.

Not currently. CCSM is in process for Title IV federal financial aid approval and is applying to accept GI Bill benefits. Contact us to stay informed as that changes.

A MEAC-accredited program designed for aspiring midwives with no prior midwifery, nursing, or medical training, delivered primarily online with local preceptorships and in-person skills weeks.

CCSM prides itself on student-led preceptor relationships, and our Clinical Department actively supports the search with an established (and growing) network across all three states. We can’t guarantee placement, but we’re an active partner in the process.

Google Suite — student Gmail and Drive access; Zoom — live class attendance; Populi — admissions, billing, and tuition; Canvas LMS — attendance, grading, academic course delivery; Typhon — clinical experience tracking.

Academics require 10–20 hours per week for coursework, homework, and studying. Clinically, students establish a weekly schedule with their preceptor and remain on-call throughout the program to meet required visit and birth counts.

CCSM’s clinical requirements exceed those required by NARM and MEAC, and include: Participation in 75 births at varying management levels, including a minimum of 5 planned home births and 2 planned hospital births; 50 prenatal exams; 50 newborn exams; 50 postpartum exams; 5 well-woman GYN exams; 5 continuity-of-care cases; 5 suturing patients; 1,350 total clinical hours.

A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a credentialed midwife trained to provide maternity care in out-of-hospital settings such as homes and birth centers. CPMs are certified through the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) after completing accredited education, required clinical experience, and a national exam.

Ready to start? Talk with Admissions or begin your application.

Schedule an Admissions call