Pioneer Pacific College

Highlights

• Flexible schedules enable accelerated diploma, associate's, and bachelor's degree programs
• All inclusive tuition pays for books, tools, and supplies
• Externships available for some programs
• Approved by the US Department of Veteran's Affairs and Oregon State Department of Education
• Accredited by Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

About the School

Pioneer Pacific College is a private college geared towards career-focused individuals. Established in 1981, originally as Skilltronics, the school first focused on training for the electronics industry. Since then the school has continued to add new fields and to evolve its curriculums. It now trains students for careers in business, criminal justice, culinary arts, information technology, healthcare, and paralegal.

The school’s mission is to “help people improve their lives through high-quality, college-level, career education.” Small classes and flexible class schedules help students earn their diploma, associate or bachelor degrees in short amounts of time. For example diplomas can be earned in as little as 10 months, associate's degrees in 17 months, and a bachelor's in three years.

Academic Programs

The college focuses its educational programs in the following career areas:

• Business – The curriculum offers training in relevant computer technologies as well as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Areas of concentration can include accounting, administration, marketing, and management.
• Criminal Justice – Students receive special training designed for those interested in a broad range of law enforcement career paths, such as police officers, detectives, state troopers, juvenile case workers. Training can also prepare students for work in courts, corrections, parole and probation, immigration and naturalization, customs, security, and private investigations.
• Culinary Arts – These programs offer baking, culinary, and pastry arts education in a hands-on environment. Students work through a curriculum designed to be practical and that teaches the basics of working in a commercial kitchen.
• Healthcare – Programs help students learn skills in a variety of healthcare occupations, including those in massage therapy, medical claims, billing, administration, medical assistance, pharmacy, and practical nursing. Courses vary depending on the field; for example, healthcare administration focuses on computer technology, accounting, and human resources.
• Information Technology – Students study computer hardware and software, operating systems, network administration, Web sites, security, databases, applications, and diagnostics.
• Legal – Students learn to draft legal documents, brief cases, organize case files, and conduct computer legal research. All students also complete externships in the legal field.

Learning Options

Class schedules at Pioneer Pacific College are structured for flexibility. Courses are offered year-round with most starting every ten weeks. Day and evening classes allow students to pursue degrees while maintaining employment.

The school keeps class sizes small to allow for more interaction with faculty. Externships are available in some programs to help students gain real-world experience as part of their education and to enhance their resume.

Faculty

Over 100 instructors teach at Pioneer Pacific College, most with real-world professional experience in their fields.

Student Life

Roughly three-quarters of the student body are full-time. The majority are in-state commuting students.

The college emphasizes helping students professionally, including assisting with job placement through local community relationships, resume writing, portfolio development, and interviewing skills.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Pioneer Pacific College does not have a strict set of criteria for admissions, although some programs are more selective. Undergraduates must have a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED), and standardized test scores and an evaluation are required for admission. With the school's frequent, year-round starting of classes there is no particular deadline for applications.

The school has an all-inclusive tuition policy – a student's tuition includes the cost of their books, tools, and supplies. This helps students to budget their overall program costs and to apply financial aid for these expenses as well as to tuition.

Financial aid is available through Pioneer Pacific College for those who qualify, and a significant number of students do receive some sort of monetary assistance. The school offers financial aid guidance and tuition planning assistance. Early submission of an application before planned start of classes is encouraged to allow time to process financial aid requests.