MAST20031 Analysis of Biological Data
University of Melbourne · Level 2 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 1.
- Final exam 55%
- About 5 class hours a week
Is MAST20031 hard?
MAST20031: Harder. Makes it harder: Reviewers say it takes a lot of time, 5 class hours a week.
What you learn
Designing biology experiments and analysing the data in R, from field studies to lab work.
After it you can
- Design lab, greenhouse and field experiments
- Fit linear models to biological data
- Use resampling and likelihood methods
What you need first
BIOL10001 or BIOL10006 or BIOL10008 or BIOL10009 or BIOL10010 or BIOL10011 or BIOL10002 or BIOM10002 or BIOL10003 or BIOL10004 or BIOL10005
- BIOL10001 Biology of Australian Flora & Fauna
- BIOL10006 Systems Biology
- BIOL10008 Foundational Biology: Life's Machinery
- BIOL10010 Foundational Biology: Life's Complexity
- BIOL10011 Biology: Life's Complexity
- BIOL10002 Biomolecules and Cells
- BIOM10002 Exploring Biomedicine
What it leads to
- BIOL30001 Reproductive Physiology
- BIOL30002 Experimental Animal Biology
- BIOL30011 Applied Marine Biology
- ECOL30006 Ecology in Changing Environments
- ECOL30007 Marine Biodiversity and Biogeography
- ENEN30001 Environmental Eng Systems Capstone
- EVSC30002 Problem Solving in Environmental Science
- EVSC30003 Environmental Risk Assessment
- GEOG30001 Coastal Landforms and Processes
- GEOL30004 Geochemistry
- ZOOL30007 Experimental Animal Behaviour
- ZOOL30008 Experimental Marine Biology
- ZOOL30009 Field Ecology
How it’s assessed
Quizzes 20%, Assignments 25%, Final exam 55%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 10 students on StudentVIP (2018–2025)
- Most reviewers say the online lectures are long-winded and overly complex for fairly simple content.
- Workload is heavy, with prac, tutorial, lecture and online lectures weekly, plus quizzes and assignments.
- R is required for assignments, and much self-teaching is needed.
- Practice exam solutions sometimes contained errors; many advise taking it only if required.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate MAST20031
Quick answers
- When is MAST20031 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 1.
- What do I need before taking MAST20031?
- Needs BIOL10001 or BIOL10006 or BIOL10008 or BIOL10009 or BIOL10010 or BIOL10011 or BIOL10002 or BIOM10002 or BIOL10003 or BIOL10004 or BIOL10005.
- Does MAST20031 have a final exam?
- Yes, the final exam is 55% of the mark. Assessment: Quizzes 20%, Assignments 25%, Final exam 55%.
- Is MAST20031 hard?
- From 10 student reviews on StudentVIP: Most reviewers say the online lectures are long-winded and overly complex for fairly simple content.
- What do students say about MAST20031?
- Most reviewers say the online lectures are long-winded and overly complex for fairly simple content. Workload is heavy, with prac, tutorial, lecture and online lectures weekly, plus quizzes and assignments. R is required for assignments, and much self-teaching is needed.
- How many class hours a week does MAST20031 have?
- 5 h a week in class
- Can I take MAST20031 as breadth?
- No, it isn’t listed as breadth for any course.
- What can I take after MAST20031?
- 13 subjects need it first, for example BIOL30001, BIOL30002, BIOL30011, ECOL30006.
- Can I rate MAST20031?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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