Bloomberg Terminals give Northeastern students access to interdisciplinary advantage

Northeastern University students have a key advantage when it comes to navigating a competitive job market: The Bloomberg Terminal. This database, predominantly used by financial services firms and large corporations, houses data on a variety of business-related topics, which benefits students and faculty across disciplines and industries–not just those in finance.

The D'Amore-McKim School of Business operates 20 Bloomberg Terminals in one on-campus lab, where students can learn how to use this common data analytics platform. Currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students can now access the Terminal online through the Bloomberg Virtual Terminal for a limited time. Also online, students can complete the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification, which helps them learn the basics of financial markets and economics while gaining exposure to all the different areas of finance and the Bloomberg research resources.

The Terminal grants its users access to large data sets, which are not commonly found using online search tools. It offers thousands of different search functions to find exact data that meets the specific needs of users. The terminal also easily enables data transfer into customizable spreadsheets that can be conveniently saved for future use.

The breadth of data on the Bloomberg Terminal is complemented by the efficiency of its data analytics functions. The database has information on companies including demographics, social media, ESG, and much more. The depth and diversity of information related to all areas of business operations make the Bloomberg Terminal a sought-after tool for in-depth industry research for all disciplines.

“Students of all majors can use the Terminal to pull large data sets that help them with research or internships,” says Vincent Muscolino finance professor at D'Amore-McKim and the Bloomberg expert faculty advisor to the Lab. “They quickly adapt and get the hang of it. The Terminal is a resource that connects the student with real-world tools.” 

One student who interviewed for a full-time position at an asset management company received an offer because he impressed the hiring managers with his knowledge of the industry and his ability to navigate the Terminal. Myles O'Leary, DMSB ‘21, who serves as a research assistant for the Bloomberg Lab, helped the student complete a fine-grained search on a Terminal to find companies within the firm's niche investment criteria: not only did a company need to generate good returns, but it also required a socially and environmentally conscious mission. From there, the student created a unique investment pitch for the interview with the data he found on the Terminal and, ultimately, landed the gig.

“Pairing classwork with the Terminal is a powerful combination that adds another dimension to learning,” says O'Leary. “Understanding the over 50,000 research functions on the Terminal gives students an advantage when entering a workforce that emphasizes using it.”

O'Leary hosts regular tutorial sessions to teach our community how to use the Bloomberg Terminals. He also supports student clubs like Northeastern's Student Value Fund, which uses the Terminals often to accommodate their needs. Students can also sign up for the Bloomberg newsletter, which shares tips and tricks on how to use the Terminal as well as other curated finance content.

Muscolino and O'Leary have also assisted the integration of the Terminals into the classroom by training incoming students on how to use Bloomberg and its resources as a part of their curricula requirements in the first-semester course, BUSN 1101: Introduction to Business. All incoming students will learn about the Bloomberg labs and use its resources as a part of their curricula requirements in BUSN 1101.

Integration of Terminal exercises and over 2,400+ BMC certifications over the past five years has earned Northeastern recognition as a Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner, which grants Northeastern students, faculty, and staff access to exclusive resources — even remotely.

Learn more about the Bloomberg Virtual Business Lab.