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Ian Thairu got quick results from the Master of Science in Financial Engineering program at WorldQuant University. Even before his graduation in 2025, Deloitte Kenya promoted him from audit associate to senior audit associate. Now, companies pay for his insights on their financial statements. The job is challenging, but Ian says WQU prepared him well.

“I get to apply the skills and knowledge learned in the master’s program,” he says.

Ian built a solid foundation at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, where he studied economics and statistics. He enrolled at WQU a short time later to expand his knowledge.

“I realized I needed to develop my quantitative skills to be competitive in the job market,” he says. “I chose WorldQuant University because of the amazing content that the program offers for free.”

During his coursework at WQU, Ian studied machine learning in finance, stochastic modeling, derivative pricing, portfolio management, and related topics. Then he applied his skills in a capstone course that pulled everything together using real-world data.

“My favorite experience at WorldQuant University was working on group projects,” Ian says. “I was partnered with students from different countries, and I got to learn about other people’s experiences and other people’s cultures.”