An ideal, 1 1/2 to 2 year, Pre-professional, Pre-PhD, and Pre-research career master degree program. Students select their own MS degree coursework and conduct a research project at the world renowned Roswell Park Cancer Institute.Programs are designed to give students a research experience along with a broad based science education. Students are given the opportunity to design their own curriculum in consultation with the Chair of the program. Thus, while students are matriculated into the Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences program; some may concentrate in molecular biology, immunology, pharmacology, biophysics, physiology or some other established field. One of the major strengths of this program is the exposure provided to students to the mutli- and inter-disciplinary nature of research. The Natural Sciences faculty is supplemented by faculty from the Institute's other Divisional departments. Besides selecting courses from the aforementioned list, it is possible for students to elect a specialization in epidemiology. The specialization is intended to provide the basic knowledge necessary to understand research on the etiology of cancer such as carcinogenesis, and to apply it to cancer control. It attempts to achieve this objective by exposing students to the fundamentals of the epidemiological method of investigations along with related statistical techniques. In addition to required course offerings, students may also take coursework in the following areas: biostatistics, demography, medical sociology and others. Course Work Minimum 36 credit hours; required courses "Oncology for Scientists I/II" 18 hours, area of concentration in the Biological, Biochemical, or Biophysical sciences 6 hours from areas not selected as concentration (two courses) 6 hours independent research project 2 hours seminars 2 hours electives