Admission Requirements

All individuals who apply to the Midwifery Program must first submit an application to UBC and meet the general admission requirements including the minimum grade point average as defined by the UBC Calendar . The Midwifery Program will not consider applications from individuals who do not meet the UBC entrance requirements.

UBC does not recognize a GED (General Education Development) as equivalent to a provincially recognized high school diploma. Please refer to UBC Undergraduate Admissions for high school requirements from across Canada.

Every applicant is required to complete the following post-secondary courses before they begin Year One of the program. The courses must be completed and official transcripts received by Undergraduate Admissions no later than June 30 of the intake year.

• BIOL 155_V (Human Biology: Physiology and Introductory Anatomy) or an approved equivalent. *NOTE: Any applicant who has completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is licensed in a Canadian jurisdiction will have the BIOL 155_V prerequisite waived. 
  • This course is generally a two-term course, and all parts must be completed to meet this requirement.
  • Applicants must have completed this course within 5 years of their entrance to Year 1 of the program (i.e., September 2021 to September 2026 for the 2026 intake). 
• WRDS 150_V (Writing and Research in the Disciplines) or an approved equivalent. *NOTE: Any applicant who has completed a university degree will have the WRDS 150 prerequisite waived.
  • WRDS 150_V was renumbered to WRDS 151_V for the 2025-2026 academic year.

To locate an equivalent course, applicants can search the BC Transfer Guide  by Receiving Institution (UBC-Vancouver Campus). Applicants can refer to the comprehensive approved BIOL_V 155 equivalency list . For the English equivalent, any of the following WRDS 150_V course equivalents from within BC  will be approved.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR):

Applicants who wish to have courses assessed for equivalency can submit a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) application. Applicants are required to submit a PLAR application if they meet the following criteria: 

• Completed English course not on the approved equivalency list or the BC Transfer Guide  

• Completed Human Anatomy & Physiology (HAP) courses not on the approved equivalency list or the BC Transfer Guide

• Completed HAP courses listed in a different combination than those listed on the approved equivalency list or the BC Transfer Guide

HAP courses must meet the following criteria for PLAR assessment:

1. The coursework must show at least 6 post-secondary/university level credits of HAP (at an accredited institution)
2. The course work must be at least 75-78 hours of contact time:
   • 3 contact hours per week x 13 weeks over two (2) terms, or
   • 6 contact hours per week x 13 weeks over one term
3. The course(s) must cover the anatomy and physiology of the following human body systems:
   • Cardiovascular
   • Muscular and skeletal
   • Digestive
   • Nervous
   • Endocrine
   • Reproductive
   • Immune
   • Respiratory
   • Integumentary
   • Urinary
4. The course(s) must cover HUMAN, not Cell or Animal Anatomy/Physiology content, and include both the STRUCTURE and FUNCTION of all body systems listed above
5. The course syllabi submitted with the PLAR application must be from the year when the courses were completed
6. Course(s) must be completed within the last 5 years at the time of application
   • Applicants for September 2026 intake must present HAP course(s) completed 5 years from the time that the program starts (i.e., September 2021 until September 2026)
7. The admissions committee reviews PLAR applications and determines if the coursework meets the required HAP content
   • Please Note: The committee does not grant transfer credit

The 2025/2026 PLAR applications are now CLOSED. The 2026/2027 PLAR applications will open in October 2026.

There is an associated $50 fee for all PLAR applications. Please note that the PLAR application fee is non-refundable. 

Applicants interested in completing a PLAR must connect with the Student Services Manager & Advisor to review PLAR eligibility. Applicants can email the Student Services Manager & Advisor at info@midwifery.ubc.ca or book an advising appointment below.

All students enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine are required to meet the immunization standards established by the UBC Student Health Services  (SHS). Students receive documentation outlining SHS immunization requirements upon admission to the Midwifery Program. The SHS notifies the Midwifery Program once a student has completed the immunization protocol.

Immunization requirements are in place to protect the student as well as the clients and neonates to whom students provide care. It is the professional responsibility of each student to ensure these requirements are fulfilled prior to their entry into MIDW 200, the first clinical placement course in the second year of the program. Students who do not comply with the immunization requirements will not be permitted to participate in any clinical placement course. This will jeopardize progression throughout, and graduation from, the Midwifery Program.

The Midwifery Program reserves seats for qualifying Indigenous applicants each year. Applicants may self-identify as Indigenous on their UBC application or through the Midwifery Supplemental Application. Qualifying indigenous applicants will complete an indigenous panel interview in addition to the Midwifery interview. Questions about the indigenous panel interview can be directed to the Indigenous Student Coordinator.