diff --git a/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js b/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
index 46a31bb9fe..91e211be95 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
@@ -33,20 +33,57 @@ CMS.Models.Settings.CourseDetails = Backbone.Model.extend({
 		return attributes;
 	},
 	
+	validate: function(newattrs) {
+		// Returns either nothing (no return call) so that validate works or an object of {field: errorstring} pairs
+		// A bit funny in that the video key validation is asynchronous; so, it won't stop the validation.
+		var errors = {};
+		if (newattrs.start_date && newattrs.end_date && newattrs.start_date >= newattrs.end_date) {
+			errors.end_date = "The course end date cannot be before the course start date.";
+		}
+		if (newattrs.start_date && newattrs.enrollment_start && newattrs.start_date < newattrs.enrollment_start) {
+			errors.enrollment_start = "The course start date cannot be before the enrollment start date.";
+		}
+		if (newattrs.enrollment_start && newattrs.enrollment_end && newattrs.enrollment_start >= newattrs.enrollment_end) {
+			errors.enrollment_end = "The enrollment start date cannot be after the enrollment end date.";
+		}
+		if (newattrs.end_date && newattrs.enrollment_end && newattrs.end_date < newattrs.enrollment_end) {
+			errors.enrollment_end = "The enrollment end date cannot be after the course end date.";
+		}
+		if (newattrs.intro_video && newattrs.intro_video != this.get('intro_video')) {
+			var videos = this.parse_videosource(newattrs.intro_video);
+			var vid_errors = new Array();
+			var cachethis = this;
+			for (var i=0; i<videos.length; i++) {
+				// doesn't call parseFloat or Number b/c they stop on first non parsable and return what they have
+				if (!isFinite(videos[i].speed)) vid_errors.push(videos[i].speed + " is not a valid speed.");
+				// can't use get from client to test if video exists b/c of CORS (crossbrowser get not allowed)
+				// GET "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/" + videokey
+			}
+			if (!_.isEmpty(vid_errors)) {
+				errors.intro_video = vid_errors.join('/n');
+			}
+		}
+		if (!_.isEmpty(errors)) return errors;
+		// NOTE don't return empty errors as that will be interpreted as an error state
+	},
+	
 	urlRoot: function() {
 		var location = this.get('location');
 		return '/' + location.get('org') + "/" + location.get('course') + '/settings/' + location.get('name') + '/section/details';
 	},
 	
 	_videoprefix : /\s*<video\s*youtube="/g,
-	_videospeedparse : /\d+\.?\d*(?=:)/g,
+	// the below is lax to enable validation
+	_videospeedparse : /[^:]*/g, // /\d+\.?\d*(?=:)/g,
 	_videokeyparse : /([^,\/]+)/g,
 	_videonosuffix : /[^\"]+/g,
 	_getNextMatch : function (regex, string, cursor) {
 		regex.lastIndex = cursor;
-		return regex.exec(string);
+		var result = regex.exec(string);
+		if (_.isArray(result)) return result[0];
+		else return result;
 	},
-	// the whole string for editing
+	// the whole string for editing (put in edit box)
 	getVideoSource: function() {
 		if (this.get('intro_video')) {
 			var cursor = 0;
@@ -95,10 +132,32 @@ CMS.Models.Settings.CourseDetails = Backbone.Model.extend({
 			else return "";
 		}
 	},
+	parse_videosource: function(videostring) {
+		// used to validate before set so cannot get from model attr. Returns [{ speed: fff, key: sss }]
+		var cursor = 0;
+		this._getNextMatch(this._videoprefix, videostring, cursor);
+		cursor = this._videoprefix.lastIndex;
+		videostring = this._getNextMatch(this._videonosuffix, videostring, cursor);
+		cursor = 0;
+		// parsed to "fff:kkk,fff:kkk"
+		var result = new Array();
+		while (cursor < videostring.length) {
+			var speed = this._getNextMatch(this._videospeedparse, videostring, cursor);
+			if (speed) cursor = this._videospeedparse.lastIndex + 1;
+			else return result;
+			var key = this._getNextMatch(this._videokeyparse, videostring, cursor);
+			cursor = this._videokeyparse.lastIndex + 1;
+			// See the WTF above
+			if (_.isArray(key)) key = key[0];
+			result.push({speed: speed, key: key});
+		}
+		return result;
+	},
 	save_videosource: function(newsource) {
 		// newsource either is <video youtube="speed:key, *"/> or just the "speed:key, *" string
 		// returns the videosource for the preview which iss the key whose speed is closest to 1
 		if (newsource == null) this.save({'intro_video': null}); 
+		// TODO remove all whitespace w/in string
 		else if (this._getNextMatch(this._videoprefix, newsource, 0)) this.save('intro_video', newsource);
 		else this.save('intro_video', '<video youtube="' + newsource + '"/>');
 		
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
index e28f40ffd2..f959a97d90 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
@@ -87,43 +87,85 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = Backbone.View.extend({
 	initialize : function() {
 		// TODO move the html frag to a loaded asset
 		this.fileAnchorTemplate = _.template('<a href="<%= fullpath %>"> <i class="ss-icon ss-standard">&#x1F4C4;</i><%= filename %></a>');
+		this.errorTemplate = _.template('<span class="message-error"><%= message %></span>');
+		this.model.on('error', this.handleValidationError, this);
 	},
 	
 	render: function() {
-		this.setupDatePicker('#course-start', 'start_date');
-		this.setupDatePicker('#course-end', 'end_date');
-		this.setupDatePicker('#enrollment-start', 'enrollment_start');
-		this.setupDatePicker('#enrollment-end', 'enrollment_end');
+		this.setupDatePicker('start_date')
+		this.setupDatePicker('end_date')
+		this.setupDatePicker('enrollment_start')
+		this.setupDatePicker('enrollment_end')
 		
 		if (this.model.has('syllabus')) {
-			this.$el.find('.current-course-syllabus .doc-filename').html(
+			this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['syllabus']).html(
 					this.fileAnchorTemplate({
 						fullpath : this.model.get('syllabus'),
 						filename: 'syllabus'}));
 			this.$el.find('.remove-course-syllabus').show();
 		}
 		else {
-			this.$el.find('.current-course-syllabus .doc-filename').html("");
+			this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['syllabus']).html("");
 			this.$el.find('.remove-course-syllabus').hide();
 		}
 		
-		this.$el.find('#course-overview').val(this.model.get('overview'));
+		this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['overview']).val(this.model.get('overview'));
 		
 		this.$el.find('.current-course-introduction-video iframe').attr('src', this.model.videosourceSample());
 		if (this.model.has('intro_video')) {
 			this.$el.find('.remove-course-introduction-video').show();
-			this.$el.find('#course-introduction-video').val(this.model.getVideoSource());
+			this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['intro_video']).val(this.model.getVideoSource());
 		}
 		else this.$el.find('.remove-course-introduction-video').hide();
 		
-		this.$el.find("#course-effort").val(this.model.get('effort'));
+		this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['effort']).val(this.model.get('effort'));
 		
 		return this;
 	},
+	fieldToSelectorMap : {
+		'start_date' : "#course-start",
+		'end_date' : '#course-end',
+		'enrollment_start' : '#enrollment-start',
+		'enrollment_end' : '#enrollment-end',
+		'syllabus' : '.current-course-syllabus .doc-filename',
+		'overview' : '#course-overview',
+		'intro_video' : '#course-introduction-video',
+		'effort' : "#course-effort"
+	},
 	
-	setupDatePicker : function(elementName, fieldName) {
+	_cacheValidationErrors : null,
+	handleValidationError : function(model, error) {
+		this._cacheValidationErrors = error;
+		// error is object w/ fields and error strings
+		for (var field in error) {
+			var ele = this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap[field]); 
+			if ($(ele).is('div')) {
+				// put error on the contained inputs
+				$(ele).find('input, textarea').addClass('error');
+			}
+			else $(ele).addClass('error');
+			$(ele).parent().append(this.errorTemplate({message : error[field]}));
+		}
+	},
+	
+	clearValidationErrors : function() {
+		if (this._cacheValidationErrors == null) return;
+		// error is object w/ fields and error strings
+		for (var field in this._cacheValidationErrors) {
+			var ele = this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap[field]); 
+			if ($(ele).is('div')) {
+				// put error on the contained inputs
+				$(ele).find('input, textarea').removeClass('error');
+			}
+			else $(ele).removeClass('error');
+			$(ele).nextAll('.message-error').remove();
+		}
+		this._cacheValidationErrors = null;
+	},
+	
+	setupDatePicker : function(fieldName) {
 		var cacheModel = this.model;
-		var div = this.$el.find(elementName);
+		var div = this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap[fieldName]);
 		var datefield = $(div).find(".date");
 		var timefield = $(div).find(".time");
 		var savefield = function() { 
@@ -143,7 +185,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = Backbone.View.extend({
 	},
 	
 	updateModel: function(event) {
-		// figure out which field
+		this.clearValidationErrors();
+
 		switch (event.currentTarget.id) {
 		case 'course-start-date': // handled via onSelect method
 		case 'course-end-date':
@@ -181,7 +224,7 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = Backbone.View.extend({
 		if (this.model.has('intro_video')) {
 			this.model.save_videosource(null);
 			this.$el.find(".current-course-introduction-video iframe").attr("src", "");
-			this.$el.find('#course-introduction-video').val("");
+			this.$el.find(this.fieldToSelectorMap['intro_video']).val("");
 		}
 	}