If you’re a registered nurse looking to elevate your career, transform maternal care and step into one of healthcare's most vital roles, your next chapter starts here. 

Childbirth is one of life’s most transformative moments—and nurse-midwives are redefining how families experience it through evidence-based, compassionate and individualized care. Midwives are healthcare professionals who care for individuals during pregnancy, labor, childbirth, postpartum and related reproductive care. They manage low-risk pregnancies with fewer technological interventions, ensuring childbearing individuals receive personalized labor and delivery experience tailored to where and how they choose to deliver.   

This summer, University of the Pacific’s School of Health Sciences (SHS) expanded its health professions offerings with the launch of the Master of Science (MS) in Midwifery degree, which received national pre-accreditation status from the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. This program is designed to prepare registered nurses to become certified nurse-midwives who can provide prenatal care, birth, postpartum and newborn care in home, alternative birth centers and hospital settings. The curriculum embraces the Midwifery Model of Care, emphasizing informed choice, human presence, cultural humility, physiologic birth and partnership with individuals and families.  

The program is committed to advancing health equity; reducing disparities for women, infants, and families; and promoting social justice in healthcare, especially in California. The World Health Organization recommends six midwives per 1,000 childbearing individuals; California operates at less than 5% of that standard. This severe shortage creates maternity care deserts––regions that lack hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care and obstetric providers, like OB/GYNs or certified nurse-midwives. 

By launching this degree, Pacific addresses an urgent workforce shortage while strategically investing in high-demand health disciplines that strengthen the university’s academic ecosystem. 

“The MS in Midwifery program represents an important expansion of Pacific’s commitment to health professions education and responds to the growing need for midwives and improved access to high-quality maternal and reproductive healthcare in California,” says Nursing Chair, Program Director and Professor Dr. Nassrine Noureddine.  

Located on Pacific’s Sacramento Campus, students will train in state-of-the-art simulation labs on the second floor of the Chan Family Health Education Building. By sharing these facilities and learning alongside peers in Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant and Social Work, midwifery students will have a unique opportunity for interprofessional education experiences that prepare them for real-world collaborative practice. 

Students will learn directly from experienced, certified nurse-midwives and nursing faculty who bring real-world clinical experiences into the classroom. Leveraging the expertise of our established Nursing Department ensures a cross-disciplinary curriculum that delivers exceptional value to the students' careers. 

“We look forward to welcoming our inaugural cohort for Spring 2027 and preparing the next generation of nurse-midwives to serve California’s diverse communities,” says Dr. Nouredinne.  

Applications for the first cohort close on November 29, 2026. Learn more about Pacific’s Master of Science in Midwifery program and begin your application today.