Along with other prestigious universities like Harvard University, Cornell University, York University, Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater now offers a program that sets business students apart from the rest. This program is called Bloomberg Certification.

The Bloomberg Certification Workshop, newly offered at UW-Whitewater in fall 2007, is a two-credit hybrid course where students get certified and participate in discussions and presentations related to investment practices.

Students seeking jobs as traders, investment bankers, fund managers, salespeople, research analysts, treasury managers, bond originators, compliance officers, auditors, back-office staff, etc are strongly encouraged to complete this certification. Students have the opportunity to get certified in equity, fixed income or both. So far, 11 students are certified in equity and there are nearly six students seeking certification for this semester.

 "Bloomberg Certification establishes a link between classroom and real world investment practice," said Linda Yu, assistant professor of finance. "Students get the chance to realize what they've learned at school, which is also useful in the workplace. The experience also motivates them to learn more."
 
Another benefit is that many employers are surprised and excited that UW-Whitewater offers such a valuable opportunity to their graduates. "This addition makes our students more competitive in the market and stand out during the interview process," Yu added. "One student told me that she will use Bloomberg database at her new job and her experience with the database at school helped her to get the job she always wanted."
 
Senior finance and economics double-major Matthew Jubert said he was asked about the certification at every job interview he has had. "It seemed as though the interviewers were quite interested in the program, and although it was new to the university, all the feedback I received was very positive."
 
To be Bloomberg certified, students need to complete eight modules and pass the tests after each module. The entire process is done on a Bloomberg terminal. Currently, there are two terminals in the Carlson computer lab.

Yu said, "I believe Bloomberg certification is an extremely useful tool for our business students, especially those interested in working in the investment area. As of now, Bloomberg is the most popular financial database used in the industry. We want our students to have all the necessary skills that will help them to be successful in the job place."

Jubert added, "I think the certification will set you apart from other applicants in your field of study. Even if you're not taking the financial route after graduation, the Bloomberg terminal certification will help you perform better research for your own individual investments."

For more information contact Linda Yu at yuq@uww.edu.