WRITTEN BY A MEMBER OF THE LAW FACULTY OF THE INSTITUTE OF PENAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL SCIENCES, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF VENEZUELA, CARACAS, THE PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE HELD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IN 1976. IT EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF CRIMINOLOGY, TAUGHT AS AN AUTONOMOUS AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE, FOR THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF ATTORNEYS, JUDGES, MAGISTRATES AND POLICE OFFICIALS IN THE HIGHER ECHELONS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. THE MAIN TOPIC IS THE TEACHING OF CRIMINOLOGY IN LATIN AMERICA, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON VENEZUELA. TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE TEACHING OF CRIMINOLOGY IN LATIN AMERICA, AND VENEZUELA IN THE LIGHT OF THE INITIAL STRONG EUROPEAN INFLUENCES, THE AUTHOR GIVES ITS HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS, UP TO AND INCLUDING A STATE-OF-THE-ART CONTEMPORARY EVALUATION. THE ORGANIZATION OF TEACHING AT THE POSTGRADUATE AND DOCTORAL LEVEL HAS A NOTABLE INFLUENCE ON THE QUALITY OF DELIVERY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THE OUTLINE OF A CURRICULUM FOR AN ADVANCED CRIMINOLOGY STUDY PROGRAM IS GIVEN IN SOME DETAIL. AMONG HIGHLIGHTS OF RECOMMENDED CURRICULUM ARE CONCENTRATIONS IN: CRIMINOLOGY AND THE STUDY OF MAN; GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINOLOGY; AND INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL SCIENCES AND PENAL LAW. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRINCIPAL CURRENTS OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THOUGHT (E.G., ANTHROPOLOGICAL-BIOLOGICAL THEORIES, THE ROLE OF CEREBRAL LESIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, AND PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORIES, SOCIOLOGICAL CRIMINOLOGY, ANTI CRIMONOLOGY, CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY), PENOLOGY, PSYCHIATRIC CRIMINOLOGY, AND CLINICAL CRIMINOLOGY ARE FURTHER SUGGESTED COURSES, AS ARE FORENSIC MEDICINE, CRIMINALISTICS, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY(INCLUDING RELEVANT LEGISLATION, TREATMENT, JUVENILE CRIME CAUSES, PREVENTION OF JUVENILE CRIME, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE RESPECTIVE' ROLES OF FAMILY, SCHOOLS, AND SOCIETY). NINETEEN BIBLIOGRAHIC REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED IN THE TEXT. THE PAPER HAS NO TABLE OF CONTENTS. --IN SPANISH