Fremont College


Fremont College is a for-profit college based in Cerritos, California, USA, with a virtual online campus, that provides educational opportunities for working adults. The college offers professional degree programs in the multimedia design, business, legal studies and healthcare. Its intensive bachelor's degree program is part of a degree completion program that spans 15 months. The associate degree program also spans 15 months. The college is owned by Fremont Private Investments.

History

The college has its origins in the founding of Platt College in 1879 in St. Joseph, Missouri, as one of the first business schools west of the Mississippi. The Southern California branch campus was established in 1986. Dr. Sabrina Kay, the college's chancellor and CEO, assumed leadership in 2007. Under Kay's direction, Fremont College adopted the framework of Work-Based Learning Leadership taught at The Wharton School. The teaching methodology referred to as Professional Action Learning was also implemented under her leadership.

Academics

Colleges and programs

Fremont College offers degree programs through four colleges: College of Multimedia Design, College of Business, College of Legal Studies and College of Healthcare. Online degree programs are available in multimedia design and business leadership.

GED exam preparation

Fremont College offers online GED preparation courses to prospective students who need to pass the GED exam before enrolling in a degree program.

Accreditation

The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges to award Bachelor of Arts degrees, Associate of Arts degrees, Associate of Science degrees and Diplomas. In 2012, Fremont College was recognized as a School of Distinction by the ACCSC for delivering quality educational programs to students. Its paralegal studies program is approved by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Paralegal Education. Fremont is one of only 28 ABA-approved paralegal schools in California.

Teaching philosophy

Teaching methodology is based on research conducted by Kay during her studies at USC and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The teaching methodology, referred to as Professional Action Learning attempts to teach students using a variety of instructional techniques beyond standard textbooks and examinations. PAL is designed to make use of the operating concepts behind the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument and action learning methods to determine students’ learning strengths and to actively engage students in the learning process. The methodology involves guest speakers, videos, hands-on skills practice, group discussion, questions, dialogue and student presentations.
PAL involves a six-step process:
  1. Content delivery via lectures, textbooks, anecdotes, and current events.
  2. Questioning dialogue based on class content.
  3. Group discussion: students collaborate in small groups on topics and projects.
  4. Teachback, in which students take different roles and present group project results.
  5. Final reflective summary: students complete journals, exams, and papers.
  6. Students’ work becomes a part of the school's learning archive and becomes future content.
The college also follows the immersion education philosophy, where students focus on a single course at a time, in order to concentrate on the subject matter, before moving on to the next topic.
Fremont's curriculum is regularly reviewed by its advisory board.