more than twenty years ago, wuhan university and nanjing university offered library science (ls) graduate programs. since then, ls graduate education has been grow-ing quickly in many aspects. at the same time, however, ls graduate education was also facing enormous challenges stemming from the dynamic development and wide applications of information technologies into the pedagogical arena of teaching and learning at all levels. social evolution also made it necessary for ls educators to re-examine once again their graduate education model, curricular composition, educational philosophy and educational missions. in analyzing the present situation of ls graduate education in china, this paper focuses on the following issues: 1) growing size of ls graduate education (quantity and quality); 2) educational objectives, including research direction and placement for graduates; 3) structure of knowledge and curricular construction; 4) conditions of administering a library school of high quality and 5) the management of teaching resources. the keystone of this paper is to pinpoint where current library science curricular de.ciencies are lying. it is hoped that more serious scholarly discussions and perhaps also even concerted efforts among ls scholars and library practioners may be evoked in having the graduate education system of library and information science thoroughly realigned for the informational needs of the 21st century.