Students’ instructions for using the Bloomberg database

 

The Bloomberg Lab is a learning environment at the University of Vaasa campus, Fabriikki building, room F351B. The Lab is equipped with 12 Bloomberg terminals. Students, teachers, and researchers can follow, simulate and analyse Bloomberg's real-time data on equity, and news from all over the world.

In addition of data and news through the Bloomberg terminals, the Bloomberg learning environment consist of Bloomberg for Education portal. The students can enter the portal via the Bloomberg terminals in the Lab. University of Vaasa has 150 free of charge licences per year that enable the students to use the Bloomberg for Education portal remotely. We target the licences to the Master’s students living outside Vaasa. If you want to get the license, contact either of the following persons:

John Kihn, University lecturer/teacher, john.kihn@univaasa.fi 

Stig Xenomorph, Assistant professor, stig.xenomorph@univaasa.fi 

 

Both tools, the terminals and the Bloomberg for Education portal, are integrated to various courses at the University of Vaasa.

 

More information on the Bloomberg Lab can be found here.

 

Bloomberg accounts

 

You need two accounts to use Bloomberg functionalities:  

1) Bloomberg account: Account that you create and use with the Bloomberg terminals in the Bloomberg Lab, Tervahovi D218, and  

2) Learner’s account: An account that you create and use when entering the Bloomberg for Education portal https://portal.bloombergforeducation.com/sign_up.  

 

When you want to utilize all the Bloomberg functionalities (data, analyses, news etc.) you use your Bloomberg account in the Lab. When the teacher has integrated Bloomberg’s ready learning modules, videos and other ready-made teaching materials into her/his course, you use Bloomberg for Education portal with your Learner’s account. You can use the same username and secret code when creating the accounts 1) and 2). Still, both accounts need to be created separately. Below you find more detailed information about how to create account 1) and 2). 

 

1. Instructions for  creating a Bloomberg account 

  

1^st Feel free to use Bloomberg Lab during the Tervahovi opening hours. The door in unlocked, and you don’t need to make any pre-reservation However, if there is a lecture going on in the Lab, it is occupied for students and teacher. You can check the lecturing times from Peppi (tab Room reservations) or from the monitor beside the Lab’s door.  

 

2^nd On any of the terminals, logon as you would normally log onto your University of Vaasa account.  

 

3^rd Open Bloomberg by double clicking on the Bloomberg icon.  

  

 

4^th Once the program is open, press the large green <Enter/GO> key (also called the Enter key; or click using the mouse) on the Bloomberg keyboard.   

  

Once the login screen appears, create your account by clicking “Create a New Login” (i.e., create a new account when prompted by the above screen).  

  

 

5^th The new login/account process is a simple 4-step process driven by a wizard: (1) start, (2) user information, (3) validation, and (4) password.  

Suggestions:  

1. You can ignore Bloomberg’s suggested login name and create your own username that is more easily remembered.  Whether you use the username you created yourself or Bloomberg’s suggestion, write down your login name.  

1. Have a phone and/or your E-mail ready for validation (you will only be given limited time from the time you receive your validation code until the time you are expected to correctly enter it).  

1. Double check that you entered the correct phone number. Also, you are required to enter 2 phone numbers, but you can use the same number for both required phone number fields.  

1. It is ok to fill only those fields that are required i.e., largely ignore optional fields.  

 

6^th Login with your new Bloomberg login name and password.  

  

If there are any issues with the actual login/account process (i.e., step #5) please open the following pdf file and review it in detail: Create New Bloomberg Login Fact Sheet - English (bloomberglp.com).  

  

 

2. Instructions for creating a Learner’s account  

 

1^st Go to the Bloomberg Lab

2^nd On any of the terminals, logon as you would normally log onto your University of Vaasa student account.  

3^rd Open Bloomberg by clicking on the Bloomberg icon.  

  

4^th Once the program is open, press/hit the large green <Enter/GO> key (also called the Enter key; or click using the mouse) on the Bloomberg keyboard.   

  

Once the login screen appears, log into your account.  

5^th Once you have logged into your account and the Bloomberg System is open, type into the command line “BMC” then hit the green <Enter/Go> key (you can also search for the BMC function and with the mouse click on that).  

6^th This should bring you to the BMC website.  

  

Then click on “Sign Up” (i.e., for “Learners”) and go through the process (and make sure you use as your E-mail address your official University E-mail address).  

Out of two options, you create Learner’s account. Another account, the Professor account, is accessible only for teachers. After signing up, you have access to the Bloomberg for Education portal. It consists of plenty of materials you will study during your education, take a look beforehand! 

 

Instructions for studying in the Bloomberg for Education portal and taking the Bloomberg Market Concepts (“BMC”) course (LASK2058)

Teachers of the University of Vaasa link the Bloomberg teaching/learning materials to part of the course requirements. The materials consist of e-learning modules, videos, and case studies. Those materials are in the Bloomberg for Education portal https://portal.bloombergforeducation.com/sign_up.  Teachers inform you, which Bloomberg for Education portal materials belong to the study requirements of the course. Also, they give you dead line for passing the requirements, and they follow your performance via the portal.

The Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) course certification shows that the student has a combination of financial market knowledge, Bloomberg terminal skills, and Bloomberg functions/analytics knowledge.  Various courses – especially in Finance and Economics study programs – utilize the modules of BMC course as study requirements. By passing the modules when studying the various courses, you end up gathering a part or even all modules that belong to the BMC course. When you have passed all the modules required, you can download a certificate. By sending the certification to your study coordinator, year earn 1 ECT. This is valid with those study programs that have included the BMC course as a part of their curriculum: Bc.S. in Accounting & Finance, Bc.S. in Economics, Mc.S in Accounting, Mc.S in Economics and Mc.S in Finance. The UNIVAASA course code for the BMC (Bloomberg Market Concept) course is LASK2058.

You can study the modules belonging to the BMC course at the Bloomberg Lab, via Bloomberg terminal. Through the terminal, you access to the Bloomberg for Education portal where you find the modules. As we have written at the beginning of this Instructions document, we have 150 licenses per year that enable students to use the Bloomberg for Education portal remotely. In case, you want to ask the license, contact John Kihn or Stig Xenomorph.

You can pass the BMC course also as a “single course” I.e to study the course independently, not by gathering the modules as part of the study requirements of other courses. However, probably it is more useful to gather the modules alongside studying the other courses. To pass the BMC course as a single course, could fit the best to those students graduating soon (=the BMC modules haven’t been integrated into the various courses before the season 2021 – 2022).

 

Instructions for using the Bloomberg terminals

Another way to utilize Bloomberg service is to use the Bloomberg terminals in the Lab. As part of the study requirements, the teachers give various assignments where you use Bloomberg terminals independently: its data, news, analysis, and simulations. Here you find instructions how to use the Bloomberg terminal. Best you learn by trying and exploring the terminal - be active spending time in the Lab! Knowledge in using Bloomberg terminal is a big advantage in the working life!

Note that Bloomberg database is an excellent tool when preparing your Master’s thesis.  It operates as an excellent data source for the empirical research part of the thesis.