Vincent Mthimunye : Scholastic Qualifications
Vincent John Mthimunye was born in a suburb of Johannesburg [South Africa] in 1955. His parents, a few years later moved to Pretoria. Vincent started his life from very frugal (and humble) beginnings. He attended elementary school (and later middle school) in a north west Pretoria suburb called Ga-Rankuwa. He proceeded to attend a junior secondary school in that same suburb.
High School Education, Orlando High School, Orlando East, Johannesburg, RSA.
Vincent attended high school at Orlando High School in Johannesburg. The high school was in the town of Orlando East in Soweto [South Western Townships]. In high school he studied Physics, Mathematics, Zoology and Physiology. This also included the study of languages which then were [English, Afrikaans and Sotho]. The high school he attended offered a set of subjects which were taught at advanced level [and followed a specification] from a collection of Boards of Education called JMB (/Joint Matriculation Board). In learning Mathematics over his time in high school, Vincent was taught by many Maths teachers who were remarkable in their skills. Prominent of these Maths teachers who taught Vincent was T.W. Khambule, a great African Mathematician. Vincent graduated from Orlando High school with a second class pass. Undoubtedly he had some problems (poverty included) which were inhibiting his advancement in those days.
IBM School of Systems Engineering : Employment with IBM & attendance to their college
With great dreams but limited means Vincent could not proceed directly to university. IBM was recruiting personnel who had a Computer Science degree or high school graduates who had the potential to be admitted to their internal college which was known as the IBM School of Systems Engineering. IBM South Africa ran some intelligence tests which took 2 to 3 hours and Computer Science entry level examinations (+/- 2 hours) to recruit personnel with this expertise. Vincent joined in and wrote these examinations and with his Mathematical knowledge was successful in getting the correct marks to be qualified to join IBM South Africa. Vincent wanted to work and gather some money for college. Vincent joined IBM in 1977 as a trainee Computer Operator as an orientation starting point and later attended Systems Engineering School.
In time Vincent was admitted to the IBM School of Systems Engineering. He began S.E. School in January 1982 and graduated in August 1985. Vincent completed 32 courses in S.E. school which initially started with programming school. The Systems Engineering school was run with courses in Johannesburg (R.S.A.), Poughkeepsie(New York) and La Hulpe (Brussels, Belgium). Vincent spent many long periods (either taking CIS courses) in Poughkeepsie or in Brussels.
Bachelors Degree in Computer Science : University of Massachusetts Dartmouth [Boston area]
Vincent Mthimunye moved to the United States to further his studies. There, Vincent wrote numerous Bachelor of Science (in Computer Science) examinations in order to be admitted into UMASS university. Vincent wrote the final exams for a B. Sc. Degree in Computer Science both at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and other exams taken at the ETS [Education Testing Service]. From these many testimonials Vincent was successful in being admitted to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Computer Science Masters Degree program. He now got graduate standing.
Masters Degree in Computer Science : University of Massachusetts Dartmouth [Boston area]
From being admitted into the university Computer Science Masters Degree program as a full time student, Vincent did 12 courses on the program within two years and successfully completed the program. Vincent completed his Masters Degree with a high distinction (“Magna cum laude”). He was awarded his degree during the school graduation in June 1999.
Included in the bullets below are some of Vincent Mthimunye’s graduation pictures from U-Mass-Dartmouth.