diff --git a/src/lib/parsePrereq.test.ts b/src/lib/parsePrereq.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e83371b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/parsePrereq.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { parsePrereq } from "./parsePrereq";
+
+describe('parsePrereq', () => {
+    it('returns null for empty string', () => {
+        expect(parsePrereq("")).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('parses a simple course', () => {
+        expect(parsePrereq("COMP 2401")).toEqual({ kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2401' });
+    });
+
+    it('parses course with min grade', () => {
+        expect(parsePrereq("COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C-")).toEqual({ kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2401', minGrade: 'C-' });
+    });
+
+    it('parses grouped all/or example', () => {
+        const raw = "COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C-, (COMP 2404 or SYSC 3010 or SYSC 3110), and (COMP 2406 or SYSC 4504)";
+        expect(parsePrereq(raw)).toEqual({
+            kind: 'all',
+            of: [
+                { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2401', minGrade: 'C-' },
+                { kind: 'any', of: [
+                    { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2404' },
+                    { kind: 'course', code: 'SYSC 3010' },
+                    { kind: 'course', code: 'SYSC 3110' },
+                ] },
+                { kind: 'any', of: [
+                    { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2406' },
+                    { kind: 'course', code: 'SYSC 4504' },
+                ] },
+            ],
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to raw for unparseable string', () => {
+        const raw = "This is an unparseable prereq string.";
+        expect(parsePrereq(raw)).toEqual({ kind: 'raw', text: raw });
+    });
+
+    it('handles nested parentheses with an overall min grade', () => {
+        const raw = "(COMP 2401 or COMP 2402) with a minimum grade of B-";
+        expect(parsePrereq(raw)).toEqual({
+            kind: 'any',
+            of: [
+                { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2401', minGrade: 'B-' },
+                { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2402', minGrade: 'B-' },
+            ],
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to raw if an unparseable part is within a nested group', () => {
+        const raw = "(COMP 2401 or Unparseable Part) with a minimum grade of B-";
+        expect(parsePrereq(raw)).toEqual({
+            kind: 'any',
+            of: [
+                { kind: 'course', code: 'COMP 2401', minGrade: 'B-' },
+                { kind: 'raw', text: 'Unparseable Part with a minimum grade of B-' },
+            ],
+        });
+    });
+});
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diff --git a/src/lib/parsePrereq.ts b/src/lib/parsePrereq.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da8aa6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/parsePrereq.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import type { Prereq } from "@/types/course";
+
+//COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C-, (COMP 2404 or SYSC 3010 or SYSC 3110) with a minimum grade of C-, and (COMP 2406 or SYSC 4504)
+// Returns null for an empty or missing string, a structured Prereq node otherwise.
+export function parsePrereq(raw: string): Prereq | null {
+    if (raw.trim() === "") {
+        return null;
+    }
+    let out: Prereq = { kind: 'raw', text: raw };
+    const parts = raw.split(",").map(part => part.trim());
+    //check what kind
+    const last = parts[parts.length - 1] ?? "";
+    if (last.startsWith("and ")) {
+        out = { kind: 'all', of: [] };
+    } else if (last.startsWith("or ")) {
+        out = { kind: 'any', of: [] };
+    } else if (parts.length === 1) {
+        // this handles both simple courses and nested stuff where its like "(A or B) with a minimum grade of C-"
+        out = parseNestedPart(parts[0]);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    //now we have the kind of the prereq, we need to parse the parts
+    if (out.kind === 'all' || out.kind === 'any') {
+        for (const rawPart of parts) {
+            let part = rawPart;
+            //remove the and/or
+            if (part.startsWith('and ')) part = part.slice(4).trim();
+            if (part.startsWith('or ')) part = part.slice(3).trim();
+            //nested?
+            if (part.startsWith("(")) {
+                out.of.push(parseNestedPart(part));
+            } else {
+                out.of.push(parseCoursePart(part));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return out;
+}
+
+// Parses a part that should probably be a course code and possibly has a min grade, ex "COMP 2401 with a minimum grade of C-"
+function parseCoursePart(part: string): Prereq {
+    const trimmed = part.trim();
+    const [coursePart, gradePart] = trimmed.includes(" with a minimum grade of ")
+        ? trimmed.split(" with a minimum grade of ").map(s => s.trim())
+        : [trimmed, undefined];
+
+    if (!isCourseCode(coursePart)) {
+        return { kind: 'raw', text: trimmed };
+    }
+
+    if (gradePart) {
+        return { kind: 'course', code: coursePart, minGrade: gradePart };
+    }
+
+    return { kind: 'course', code: coursePart };
+}
+
+// Parses a part that has nested parentheses and possibly has a min grade, ex "(COMP 2401 or COMP 2402) with a minimum grade of B-"
+function parseNestedPart(part: string): Prereq {
+    // accepts strings like `(A or B) with a minimum grade of X` or `A and B`
+    let s = part.trim();
+    const gradeMarker = " with a minimum grade of ";
+    let grade: string | undefined;
+
+    const idx = s.indexOf(gradeMarker);
+    if (idx !== -1) {
+        grade = s.slice(idx + gradeMarker.length).trim();
+        s = s.slice(0, idx).trim();
+    }
+
+    if (s.startsWith("(") && s.endsWith(")")) {
+        s = s.slice(1, -1).trim();
+    }
+
+    let node: Prereq;
+    if (s.includes(" and ")) {
+        const subparts = s.split(" and ").map(s => s.trim());
+        node = { kind: 'all', of: subparts.map(parseCoursePart) };
+    } else if (s.includes(" or ")) {
+        const subparts = s.split(" or ").map(s => s.trim());
+        node = { kind: 'any', of: subparts.map(parseCoursePart) };
+    } else {
+        // its not nested, just a course part with a possible min grade
+        node = parseCoursePart(s);
+    }
+
+    // if there was an overall min grade (ex "(A or B) with a minimum grade of C-"), we need to attach that min grade to all courses in the prereq
+    // if there are min grades on the individual courses, its handled by parseCoursePart
+    // if there is ever a case where there are both an overall min grade and individual min grades, the overall min grade takes precedence (dont think this ever happens)
+    if (grade) attachGrade(node, grade);
+    return node;
+}
+
+// Recursively puts the min grade on all courses in the prereq given. Used for overall min grades applied to nested groups, ex "(A or B) with a minimum grade of C-" 
+function attachGrade(node: Prereq, grade: string) {
+    if (node.kind === 'course') {
+        (node as any).minGrade = grade;
+    } else if (node.kind === 'raw') {
+        // put the grade text on to the raw text so the min grade is preserved for unparseable parts.
+        // This is weird but its only for when it falls back to raw text
+        (node as any).text = `${(node as any).text} with a minimum grade of ${grade}`;
+    } else if (node.kind === 'all' || node.kind === 'any') {
+        for (const child of node.of) {
+            attachGrade(child, grade);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// checks if the part is a valid course code like "COMP 2401"
+function isCourseCode(part: string): boolean {
+    return /^[A-Z]{4}\s\d{4}$/.test(part.trim());
+}
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