Educational Requirements to Become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)

The Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is a knowledgeable, skilled professional midwife who has been educated through a variety of routes. Candidates eligible to apply for the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential include:

  • graduates of programs accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC);
  • midwives certified by the ACNM Certification Council (ACC), Inc. as CNMs or CMs; and
  • candidates who have completed NARM's competency-based portfolio evaluation process called the PEP Program.
The education, skills and experience necessary for entry into the profession of direct-entry midwifery were mandated by the Midwives' Alliance of North American (MANA) Core Competencies and the Certification Task Force; authenticated by NARM's current Job Analysis; and are outlined in NARM's Candidate Information Bulletin and the How To Become A Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) booklet. These documents describe the standard for the educational curriculum (course of study) required of all Certified Professional Midwives.

NARM recognizes that the education of a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) is composed of didactic and clinical experience. The clinical component of the educational process is at least one year in duration, and includes a minimum of 1350 clinical contact hours under the supervision of one or more preceptors.

The clinical experience includes prenatal, intrapartal, postpartal and newborn care by a student midwife under supervision. A supervising midwife, called a preceptor, must be either:

  • A nationally certified midwife (CPM, CNM, or CM); or
  • Legally recognized in a jurisdiction, province or state as a practitioner who specializes in maternity care; or
  • A midwife who has practiced as a primary attendant without supervision for a minimum of three years and fifty out-of-hospital births

The Certified Professional Midwife practices The Midwifery Model of Care in predominantly out-of-hospital settings. The CPM is the only national credential that requires knowledge and experience in out-of-hospital settings.