RESEARCH WAS LIMITED BY TWO FACTORS: THE SCOPE WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO TIME LIMITATIONS, AND STUDYING ONE PARTICULAR SUBJECT (HERE CRIMINALISTICS) DEVOID OF THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL TEACHING SYSTEM WAS DIFFICULT. THE COMPARISON OF THE CURRICULI AND RELEVANT LITERATURE OF THE NETHERLANDS, POLAND, SWEDEN, FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN, THE UNITED STATES AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY SHOWED THAT THE PROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF CRIMINALISTICS TAUGHT IN MANY COUNTRIES IS HIGHER THAN IN WEST GERMANY WITH ITS ADDED EMPHASIS ON LEGAL SUBJECTS. HOWEVER, IN MANY COUNTRIES A CLEAR AND SYSTEMATIC PRESENTATION OF CRIMINOLOGICAL MATERIAL AS REFLECTED IN WEST GERMAN COURSE GUIDES IS MISSING. THE WEST GERMAN DISTINCTION BETWEEN CRIMINALISTICS AND THE ADMINSTRATIVE ASPECTS OF CRIME INVESTIGATION (E.G., WRITING A PROTOCOL, REPORTING OFFENSES) IS NOT MADE; INSTEAD THESE TECHNICAL ASPECTS ARE USUALLY INTEGRATED INTO OTHER SUBJECTS OR BECOME SUBJECTS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. CRIME PREVENTION IS FREQUENTLY TAUGHT AS A SEPARATE SUBJECT IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHILE THE PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES OF CRIME SCENE SEARCHES (INCLUDING HOUSE SEARCHES) RECEIVE GREATER EMPHASIS THAN IN WEST GERMANY. OVERALL, THE PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF CRIME INVESTIGATION ARE MORE CLOSELY INTEGRATED IN OTHER COUNTRIES. IN TRAINING CAREER POLICE OFFICERS, THE CRIMINOLOGICAL MATERIAL IS GROUPED ACCORDING TO POLICE MEASURES RATHER THAN ACCORDING TO PARTICULAR OFFENSES AS IN WEST GERMANY. DESPITE ALL THESE DIFFERENCES, EXPERTS AGREE THAT THE BEST TRAINING FUTURE CRIMINOLOGISTS CAN RECEIVE IS DIRECTLY ON THE JOB. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS AN INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)