Arkansas Just Launched Its First Nurse-Midwife Program. Here's What It Means for Future CNMs

On Oct. 14, 2026, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences welcomed the first five students into Arkansas' first nurse-midwifery training program in Little Rock, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The two-and-a-half-year master's track enrolls BSN-prepared RNs and carries preaccreditation status from ACME.

For nurses weighing whether a new advanced practice pathway is viable, the state context matters: Arkansas CNMs must practice under a collaborative practice agreement, and only 1.2% of 2024 births were attended by certified nurse midwives. Pay data remains sparse, yet access gaps in rural and closed birthing units sharpen the demand.

What Launched at UAMS: The Quick Facts

For nurses deciding whether to enter a new advanced practice pathway, UAMS has now made the option concrete. On Oct. 14, 2026, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing welcomed its first five students to Arkansas' first nurse-midwifery training program at the UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, with six more expected to start in January, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The UAMS program is one of the MSN programs in Arkansas: a two-and-a-half-year master's track. Admission requires a Bachelor of Science in nursing plus an active RN license, so it targets working BSN-prepared nurses rather than entry-level students. Among the inaugural cohort, Sidney Proust brings a direct view of the access gap: she has been a labor and delivery nurse since 2023, working mostly in rural Montgomery County before her Hot Springs birthing unit closed in summer 2026.

Why Arkansas Went This Long Without a CNM Program

Why has Arkansas lagged so far behind the national average in midwife-attended births? The root cause was not a lack of interest, but a missing education pipeline: until now, Arkansas nursing programs had no in-state route for registered nurses to train as certified nurse midwives. Without a local CNM pathway, nurses who wanted this specialty had to leave the state for graduate education or choose another APRN track, such as NP Programs in Arkansas, leaving the workforce small and unevenly distributed.

The numbers show the gap. According to UAMS's maternal health scorecard, only 1.2% of Arkansas births in 2024 were attended by CNMs, compared with 11.4% nationally. The American College of Nurse-Midwives counted just 49 clinically practicing CNMs statewide in 2023 and 149 midwife-attended births in 2022.

That scarcity matters most in rural areas. Since 2024, five labor and delivery units in Arkansas have closed, leaving 30 total. When birthing units close, CNMs and other maternal health providers become one of the few remaining options for prenatal and birth care, especially for families far from a hospital. The new UAMS program is designed to begin rebuilding that pipeline, with future graduates positioned to serve the communities that need them most.

How the UAMS Program Is Structured and What It Costs

Format and clinical training

The UAMS Nurse-Midwifery MSN Program is a 47-credit, 30-month Master of Science in Nursing program using a hybrid model. Most didactic coursework is online, while skills intensives meet in person at the beginning of each semester on the Little Rock campus or the Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville.¹ Clinical rotations are arranged in Arkansas and may include Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Northwest Arkansas. UAMS says placements may be closer to a student's home when contracts allow, but students must be able to access the assigned site. The college has not published exact intensive days, whether campus location is assigned by cohort, or a complete clinical placement list.

Credit and hour totals to confirm

UAMS's program page describes 47 credits and 840 clinical hours, but a separate detail page also lists 40 credits and 540 hours.¹ Because UAMS does not explain the difference, confirm current credit and hour totals with the admissions office.

Published costs

For 2026-2027, UAMS lists graduate tuition at $525 per credit for Arkansas residents and $888 for nonresidents. At 47 credits, tuition would be roughly $24,675 in state and $41,736 out of state, excluding fees and living costs. Published fees include a $160 nurse-midwifery program fee for each fall and spring semester, a $20 per-semester liability insurance fee, and a $150 enrollment deposit. UAMS also shows a $260 graduate program fee, but its billing frequency is unclear.²

Questions to ask

Request a full cost-of-attendance worksheet, the exact number of required intensive days, and whether clinical site assignments are guaranteed or require student flexibility.

UAMS Nurse-Midwifery Admission Requirements and Timeline

Most requirements below come from the UAMS College of Nursing’s nurse-midwifery specialty page. Confirm current cohort start dates with UAMS before applying, since published start dates have shifted between fall and January.

1. Degree and GPA

   BSN from an ACEN- or CCNE-accredited program; minimum 3.00 GPA, with a 3.25+ science GPA recommended in chemistry, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.
2. Prerequisites

   Microbiology, chemistry, and anatomy & physiology with a C or better, plus a 3-credit health assessment course.
3. RN license

   Active, unencumbered Arkansas or compact-state RN license before admission and maintained throughout enrollment.
4. Experience

   RN experience is not required, but obstetric or women’s health experience is preferred. UAMS strongly recommends at least two years of clinical experience and 2,000 verified RN hours before certain clinical courses.
5. Certifications

   NRP and ALSO are preferred, not required, before admission.
6. Application window

   Spring-only cycle: June 1 through September 1 for a January start. The second cohort is expected to begin in January; confirm current start dates with UAMS.

Preaccreditation Explained: Can You Trust a New APRN Program?

Preaccreditation is now a common first step for new advanced practice programs, and you should understand the nursing acronyms involved before enrolling.

For UAMS, the answer is direct: the College of Nursing received ACME preaccreditation in September 2025, so the program is accredited at the preaccreditation stage, not fully accredited yet. Preaccreditation means ACME reviewed the proposed program before students were admitted and determined it has a sustainable structure and is likely to meet full accreditation standards.¹ It allows the program to admit students and advertise, but it does not guarantee full accreditation.¹

What the path to full accreditation involves

Preaccreditation may last up to five years.² Full initial accreditation follows after the program shows compliance with all ACME criteria through self-assessment, a site visit, and Board of Review action. Timing varies by readiness and review schedule, so UAMS cannot promise a fixed date.

How this relates to AMCB exam eligibility

Graduates of a program with ACME preaccreditation at the time of admission are eligible for the AMCB exam² if they also meet AMCB requirements: completion of a graduate degree, an active U.S. RN license on the exam date, program director verification, and attestation of safe beginning-practitioner performance.³

Verify before you enroll

• ACME directory: Confirm the program's current preaccreditation status.
• Full accreditation timing: Ask UAMS about the expected path and schedule.
• Exam eligibility: Ask how your cohort's AMCB eligibility would be handled if accreditation status changes.

Arkansas CNM Licensure at a Glance

CNM Pay and Job Outlook in Arkansas

Arkansas is among the states without a published May 2025 wage estimate for certified nurse midwives, so the state median, 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and total employment are not available as approximate 2025 figures. Those figures would also reflect the occupation as a whole, not UAMS graduates specifically. National data show the combined nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners category is projected to grow 36% from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,200 openings per year; the largest listed national nurse midwife workplaces in May 2023 were physician offices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers. In Arkansas, demand may follow Medicaid reimbursement taking full effect in 2027 and rural access needs after recent labor and delivery unit closures.

Explore Arkansas Resources

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