Yes, PFS has prestige classes. They even put out a book full of them.
Having said that, they also powered up the basic classes and spread things out so classes are always getting something.
The upshot is that most people don't use the PrC's. Exception is if there is some very specific build specialization that is desired and matches with a PrC.
But generally speaking most characters will be more powerful without the PrC.
Additionally, things in PF are just generally slightly more powerful than the things in 3.x. But not everything, so some of them will work well.
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Yes pathfinder has PrC. Archmage was not re created as it was broken. But dragon disciple, horizon walker, mystic theuge just to name a few make returns.
It is possible to use 3.5 with pathfinder. There are conversion rules.
I am a huge fan of pathfinder. One of my home rules is all sling and staff feats work with the slingstaff so players can play a hoopak weilding halfling. Tasslehoff was my second favorite character after Raistlin.
But your best bet would be starting something with pathfinder only to learn the small amount of differences before adding in 3.5. But it is doable.
See PFSRD . Note they list the Big Ten, so to speak, up top but numerous obscure but pathfinder published classes you can explore below.
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No stupid questions. Okay, there are some but this isn't one of them.
To help you out, look on the left side of the screen and scoll up till you see the subgroup for Pathfinder Rollplaying Game. In that group is the Rules Archive (PRD). Click that and you have access to all the open content rules. Select the Core Rulebook on the the left then scroll down to the chapter on Prestige classes. Free preview courtesy of Paizo.
While they have something called Prestige Classes, they are generally lackluster, even for flavor. They give up too much for not enough.
3.X had quite a few, and they provided you with many concepts, and gave class features that helped the character be that PrC. Yes, some were overpowered, but many were great for flavor.
I suppose there are a few that are OK, but most are not.
/cevah
The prestige classes that do exist are, in my opinion a welcome change from 3.5 where prestige classes were very close to mandatory. In pathfinder you can make a very powerful character without ever touching prestige classes or even multiclassing. Most of the prestige classes provide some unique element but trade out versatility for the benefit. A good example of this is the shadow dancer and the assassin vs the rogue. Complaints about rogue power level aside, the rogue gets two primary ability tracts. Sneak attack damage provides scaling damage, rogue tricks provide versatility and the ability to handle more situations. The assassin prestige class continues sneak attack progression as a normal rogue and gives you death attack, a very powerful version of sneak attack, but loses the versatility provided by rogue tricks in exchange for a hard sneak attack focus. The shadow dancer on the other hand loses the scaling damage of sneak attacks but continues to provide rogue tricks while giving you various mobility enhancers and a companion who can guarantee what sneak attack damage you have from previous levels by giving you a permanent flanking buddy and providing strength damage to debut and make going one on one easier without the same sneak attack damage a normal rogue gets.
Most prestige classes give unique abilities that can be useful for a specific build or concept, but unless you plan to make a character who optimizes and is focused around that specialty, you are most likely better sticking with base classes.
Prestige classed do exist, but are less powerful than remaining single classed. Pathfinder as a whole does not encourage multiclassing. For the most part you are better off remaining with a single class. The good news is that now all classes get cool abilities as they level up. As a whole most of the classes are fairly well designed, the rogue being the notable exception. The problem with the rogue is that the rogue talents are pretty weak which makes for a weak class.
With the latter books they introduce archetypes which modify the classes to allow for a specific concept. They trade abilities of the core class for alternative abilities. This works out really well because now you can play a lot of different concepts without sacrificing game balance. Archetypes are one of the best features of the pathfinder system. With archetypes you can have 5 different characters all playing the same class with unique abilities and styles. Archetypes give pathfinder characters what prestige classes gave 3.5 without the power creep.
Multiclassing and Prestige classes are a way to grow a character that changes over time.
Archetypes force you to choose at level 1 your whole career path without accounting for changing focus over time.
Keeping a single class (/archetype) has benefits, but it locks you into a path you may later decide you do not want.
The retraining rules let you get around some of this, but multiclassing and prestige classes are so much more effective at changing focus. It is just that PF does not value that as much, so don't make it equivalent power. It need not be greater, but to be lesser hurts.
/cevah
Pathfinder not only has prestige classes, but it has something better: archetypes.