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Data scientist Yollanda Umutoni needed a boost during her graduate studies at the University of Rwanda. Her research focused on data mining, so she enrolled in WorldQuant University’s Applied AI Lab: Deep Learning for Computer Vision to gain an edge.

The free online certificate program, which Yollanda pursued while enrolled full-time at the University of Rwanda, covered machine learning, dataset preparation, and model building focused on complex visual data. Overall, Yollanda tackled six projects at WQU while collaborating with classmates from all over the world. Topics ranged from traffic monitoring in Bangladesh to medical data generation in Spain.

“I chose WorldQuant University because it provides practical and hands-on skills that I applied to my research thesis,” Yollanda says. “The whole time was enjoyable, and the course instructors were the best.”

Juggling a certificate program on top of her regular graduate studies was a challenge, but Yollanda persisted and completed both credentials. She now holds a WQU certificate and a Master of Science from the African Center of Excellence in Data Science at the University of Rwanda.

“WorldQuant University taught me to manage my time, as the courses were self-paced,” she says. “If you’re interested in upskilling through completely free online opportunities to advance your career, I recommend checking out WQU.”