Note: This story originally appeared on Louisiana Radio Network on March 4, 2025.
Written by: Sean Richardson

Louisiana Tech University College of Business now offers students and faculty access to nine Bloomberg Terminals, professional-grade financial data, and analytics tools. Professor of Finance William McCumber says four are accessible 24/7 in common areas and five in Ray’s Financial Trading Room, where Student Managed Investment Fund analysts train.

“And what that allows is for our students to have access to the same tool and data platforms that the most well-compensated professionals and experts have across the globe.”

McCumber emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience, integrating Bloomberg Terminals into the curriculum to better prepare students for careers in business, and says these terminals provide real-time financial data, analytics, and research essential for understanding complex business environments.

“Get everything from obviously stock data, financials. We also can do things like track estimated oil refinery shutdowns given a hurricane’s expected travel. So, it’s absolutely remarkable for research.”

Students also gain access to Bloomberg Certificate programs, including Bloomberg Market Concepts, Finance Fundamentals, and Environmental Social Governance, industry-recognized credentials that enhance job market competitiveness. McCumber highlights the value of certification for students, particularly those managing investments.

“There are multimodal and very thorough to gain real experience and a certificate that they can then put on LinkedIn and on their resumes and really enhances their business opportunities.”

Faculty and students can use Bloomberg data for research, portfolio management, and coursework. Anyone with Louisiana Tech credentials can create a Bloomberg profile and utilize this resource.