This subject requires on campus attendance. Refer to Additional Requirements for more information.
Animal Diversity
UndergraduateRMI-SCB3012025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Take a virtual trek into the natural world and study the structures, lifecycles and functions of different animal groups. Explore animal reproduction and body processes. Identify the characteristics in fauna as varied as amphibians, worms, mammals and birds.
- Study method
- Online & on-campus
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 25 May 2025
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Price from
- $2,114
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Animal Diversity
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- Know characteristics of important groups of animals.
- Recognise unknown animals to major groups (phylum, order or family).
- Identify relevant structures for critical body processes and reproduction.
- Identify unknown animals to family, genus (or species) using keys and other aids.
- Work independently and in teams to achieve these goals.
- Animal Classification and phylogeny
- Sponges and Cnidaria
- Worms (flatworms, roundworms, segmented worms)
- Molluscs
- Arthropods - Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans, etc.
- Echinoderms and Chordates, Echinoderms and Invertebrate Chordates
- Fishes
- Amphibians and Reptiles
- Birds
- Mammals
- Lesser phyla
- Animal Evolution
Gain an understanding of animal identification for future employment in agricultural, horticultural and environmental areas. You will finish the subject being able to examine animal structure and identify animals in phylum or better level using appropriate techniques. You will study invertebrates (sponges, cnidarian, flatworms, molluscs, annelids, anthropods, nematodes, echinoderms, etc.) and the vertebrates (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). You will also learn about lifecycles, structure, function and reasons for importance of different groups of animals.
- Online Quizzes (20%)
- Practical Activities (35%)
- End of Semester Report (45%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Others
This is an introductory subject requiring no formal prerequisites but students will find that knowledge of biology and chemistry at VCE level will be an advantage.
Additional requirements
- Attendance requirements - Includes five half days of mandatory laboratory exercises at RMIT University, Melbourne Mandatory lab practicals are scheduled to run for this subject at the RMIT City Campus (Melbourne, Australia). Practical dates to be advised
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.