diff --git a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/CSVSchema.scala b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/CSVSchema.scala
index 0941802..275ebc5 100644
--- a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/CSVSchema.scala
+++ b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/CSVSchema.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package schemer
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty
 import org.apache.spark.sql.types._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.{DataFrame, SparkSession}
 import schemer.utils.JSONUtil
@@ -29,8 +30,8 @@ case class CSVSchemaBase(csvOptions: CSVOptions) extends SchemaLikeBase[CSVSchem
 }
 
 case class CSVSchema(
-    fields: List[CSVField],
-    options: CSVOptions
+    @JsonProperty(required = true) fields: List[CSVField],
+    options: CSVOptions = CSVOptions()
 ) extends SchemaLike {
 
   override def validate: List[String] =
diff --git a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/Schemer.scala b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/Schemer.scala
index b6da6a1..700ec3f 100644
--- a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/Schemer.scala
+++ b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/Schemer.scala
@@ -1,3 +1,38 @@
 package schemer
 
-object Schemer {}
+sealed trait SchemaType {
+  val `type`: String
+}
+
+object SchemaType {
+  case object Avro extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "avro"
+  }
+  case object Csv extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "csv"
+  }
+  case object Json extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "json"
+  }
+  case object ParquetAvro extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "parquet_avro"
+  }
+  case object ParquetCsv extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "parquet_csv"
+  }
+  case object ParquetJson extends SchemaType {
+    override val `type`: String = "parquet_json"
+  }
+  val supportedTypes = List(Avro, Csv, Json, ParquetAvro, ParquetCsv, ParquetJson)
+}
+
+object Schemer {
+  def from(`type`: String, config: String): SchemaLike = `type` match {
+    case "avro"         => AvroSchema(config)
+    case "csv"          => CSVSchema(config)
+    case "json"         => JSONSchema(config)
+    case "parquet_avro" => ParquetSchema(config, ParquetSchemaType.Avro)
+    case "parquet_csv"  => ParquetSchema(config, ParquetSchemaType.Csv)
+    case "parquet_json" => ParquetSchema(config, ParquetSchemaType.Json)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/utils/JSONUtil.scala b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/utils/JSONUtil.scala
index 8aff255..d299ee2 100644
--- a/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/utils/JSONUtil.scala
+++ b/schemer-core/src/main/scala/schemer/utils/JSONUtil.scala
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package schemer.utils
 
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.{ObjectMapper, SerializationFeature}
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.{DeserializationFeature, ObjectMapper, SerializationFeature}
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.module.scala.DefaultScalaModule
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonInclude.Include
 
diff --git a/schemer-core/src/test/scala/schemer/CSVSchemaSpec.scala b/schemer-core/src/test/scala/schemer/CSVSchemaSpec.scala
index 56ec41b..16deac7 100644
--- a/schemer-core/src/test/scala/schemer/CSVSchemaSpec.scala
+++ b/schemer-core/src/test/scala/schemer/CSVSchemaSpec.scala
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import org.apache.spark.sql.SparkSession
 import org.apache.spark.sql.types.{IntegerType, StringType, StructField, StructType}
 import org.scalatest._
 
+import scala.util.Try
+
 class CSVSchemaSpec extends FlatSpec with Matchers {
   implicit val spark: SparkSession = SparkSession.builder
     .config(new SparkConf())
@@ -83,4 +85,18 @@ class CSVSchemaSpec extends FlatSpec with Matchers {
       )
     )
   }
+
+  it should "handle empty fields" in {
+    val schema = CSVSchema(
+      "{\"fields\":[], \"options\": {}}"
+    )
+
+    schema.sparkSchema() should be(
+      StructType(List())
+    )
+  }
+
+  it should "handle error parsing json" in {
+    Try(CSVSchema("{}")).failed.get.getMessage should startWith("Missing required creator property 'fields'")
+  }
 }
diff --git a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/GraphQLService.scala b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/GraphQLService.scala
index 84acc8d..a77b08a 100644
--- a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/GraphQLService.scala
+++ b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/GraphQLService.scala
@@ -1,27 +1,25 @@
 package schemer.registry.graphql
 
-import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets
-import java.util.{Base64, UUID}
+import java.util.UUID
 
 import akka.actor.{ActorRef, ActorSystem}
 import akka.pattern.{ask, AskTimeoutException}
 import akka.util.Timeout
+import com.github.mauricio.async.db.postgresql.exceptions.GenericDatabaseException
 import org.apache.spark.sql.SparkSession
 import sangria.macros.derive.GraphQLField
 import schemer._
+import schemer.registry.Cursor
 import schemer.registry.actors._
 import schemer.registry.dao.{PaginatedFilter, SchemaDao}
-import schemer.registry.models._
-import schemer.registry.utils.Clock
-import com.github.mauricio.async.db.postgresql.exceptions.GenericDatabaseException
-import org.joda.time.DateTime
-import schemer.registry.Cursor
 import schemer.registry.exceptions.{
   SchemerException,
   SchemerInferenceException,
   SchemerSchemaCreationException,
   SchemerSchemaVersionCreationException
 }
+import schemer.registry.models._
+import schemer.registry.utils.Clock
 
 import scala.concurrent.{ExecutionContext, Future}
 import scala.language.postfixOps
@@ -64,7 +62,16 @@ class GraphQLService(
       .find(schemaId)
       .flatMap {
         case Some(schema) =>
-          schemaDao.createVersion(SchemaVersion(null, schema.id, version, schemaConfig, clock.nowUtc, user))
+          val errors = Schemer.from(schema.`type`, schemaConfig).validate
+          if (errors.isEmpty) {
+            schemaDao.createVersion(SchemaVersion(null, schema.id, version, schemaConfig, clock.nowUtc, user))
+          } else {
+            Future.failed(
+              SchemerSchemaVersionCreationException(
+                s"Error(s) validating schema config - ${errors.mkString("[", ", ", "]")}"
+              )
+            )
+          }
         case None => Future.failed(SchemerSchemaVersionCreationException(s"Schema with id $schemaId not found"))
       }
       .recoverWith {
diff --git a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/schema/SchemaType.scala b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/schema/SchemaType.scala
index 7901908..3499548 100644
--- a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/schema/SchemaType.scala
+++ b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/graphql/schema/SchemaType.scala
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package schemer.registry.graphql.schema
 
 import sangria.macros.derive.deriveObjectType
 import sangria.schema.{Field, ObjectType, _}
+import schemer.{SchemaType => SSchemaType}
 import schemer.registry.graphql.{SchemaVersionLatestDeferred, SchemaVersionsDeferred}
 import schemer.registry.graphql.schema.SchemaDefinition.constantComplexity
 import schemer.registry.models.{
@@ -9,8 +10,7 @@ import schemer.registry.models.{
   SchemaSchemaVersionConnection,
   SchemaSchemaVersionEdge,
   SchemaVersion,
-  Schema => SSchema,
-  SchemaType => SSchemaType
+  Schema => SSchema
 }
 
 trait SchemaType extends GraphQLCustomTypes {
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ trait SchemaType extends GraphQLCustomTypes {
       EnumValue("Avro", value = SSchemaType.Avro),
       EnumValue("Csv", value = SSchemaType.Csv),
       EnumValue("Json", value = SSchemaType.Json),
-      EnumValue("Parquet", value = SSchemaType.Parquet)
+      EnumValue("ParquetAvro", value = SSchemaType.ParquetAvro),
+      EnumValue("ParquetCsv", value = SSchemaType.ParquetCsv),
+      EnumValue("ParquetJson", value = SSchemaType.ParquetJson)
     )
   )
   lazy implicit val FirstArg                                                               = Argument("first", OptionInputType(IntType))
diff --git a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/models/Schema.scala b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/models/Schema.scala
index 4b8e82d..a7de53a 100644
--- a/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/models/Schema.scala
+++ b/schemer-registry/src/main/scala/schemer/registry/models/Schema.scala
@@ -4,27 +4,6 @@ import java.util.UUID
 
 import org.joda.time.DateTime
 
-sealed trait SchemaType {
-  val `type`: String
-}
-
-object SchemaType {
-  case object Avro extends SchemaType {
-    override val `type`: String = "avro"
-  }
-  case object Csv extends SchemaType {
-    override val `type`: String = "csv"
-  }
-  case object Json extends SchemaType {
-    override val `type`: String = "json"
-  }
-  case object Parquet extends SchemaType {
-    override val `type`: String = "parquet"
-  }
-
-  val supportedTypes = List(Avro, Csv, Json, Parquet)
-}
-
 case class Schema(
     id: UUID,
     name: String,