diff --git a/python/varspark/core.py b/python/varspark/core.py
index 8d85ebd4..cdab5cc9 100644
--- a/python/varspark/core.py
+++ b/python/varspark/core.py
@@ -7,14 +7,15 @@
 from varspark import java
 from varspark.etc import find_jar
 from varspark.featuresource import FeatureSource
+from varspark.covariatesource import CovariateSource
+
 
 class VarsparkContext(object):
-    """The main entry point for VariantSpark functionality.
-    """
+    """The main entry point for VariantSpark functionality."""
 
     @classmethod
     def spark_conf(cls, conf=SparkConf()):
-        """ Adds the necessary option to the spark configuration.
+        """Adds the necessary option to the spark configuration.
         Note: In client mode these need to be setup up using --jars or --driver-class-path
         """
         return conf.set("spark.jars", find_jar())
@@ -30,37 +31,63 @@ def __init__(self, ss, silent=False):
         self.sql = SQLContext.getOrCreate(self.sc)
         self._jsql = self.sql._jsqlContext
         self._jvm = self.sc._jvm
-        self._vs_api = getattr(self._jvm, 'au.csiro.variantspark.api')
+        self._vs_api = getattr(self._jvm, "au.csiro.variantspark.api")
         jss = ss._jsparkSession
         self._jvsc = self._vs_api.VSContext.apply(jss)
 
         setup_typecheck()
 
         if not self.silent:
-            sys.stderr.write('Running on Apache Spark version {}\n'.format(self.sc.version))
+            sys.stderr.write(
+                "Running on Apache Spark version {}\n".format(self.sc.version)
+            )
             if self.sc._jsc.sc().uiWebUrl().isDefined():
-                sys.stderr.write('SparkUI available at {}\n'.format(
-                    self.sc._jsc.sc().uiWebUrl().get()))
+                sys.stderr.write(
+                    "SparkUI available at {}\n".format(
+                        self.sc._jsc.sc().uiWebUrl().get()
+                    )
+                )
             sys.stderr.write(
-                'Welcome to\n'
-                ' _    __           _             __  _____                  __    \n'
-                '| |  / /___ ______(_)___ _____  / /_/ ___/____  ____ ______/ /__  \n'
-                '| | / / __ `/ ___/ / __ `/ __ \/ __/\__ \/ __ \/ __ `/ ___/ //_/  \n'
-                '| |/ / /_/ / /  / / /_/ / / / / /_ ___/ / /_/ / /_/ / /  / ,<     \n'
-                '|___/\__,_/_/  /_/\__,_/_/ /_/\__//____/ .___/\__,_/_/  /_/|_|    \n'
-                '                                      /_/                         \n')
+                "Welcome to\n"
+                " _    __           _             __  _____                  __    \n"
+                "| |  / /___ ______(_)___ _____  / /_/ ___/____  ____ ______/ /__  \n"
+                "| | / / __ `/ ___/ / __ `/ __ \/ __/\__ \/ __ \/ __ `/ ___/ //_/  \n"
+                "| |/ / /_/ / /  / / /_/ / / / / /_ ___/ / /_/ / /_/ / /  / ,<     \n"
+                "|___/\__,_/_/  /_/\__,_/_/ /_/\__//____/ .___/\__,_/_/  /_/|_|    \n"
+                "                                      /_/                         \n"
+            )
 
     @params(self=object, vcf_file_path=str, min_partitions=int)
     def import_vcf(self, vcf_file_path, min_partitions=0):
-        """ Import features from a VCF file.
-        """
-        return FeatureSource(self._jvm, self._vs_api,
-                             self._jsql, self.sql, self._jvsc.importVCF(vcf_file_path,
-                                                                        min_partitions))
+        """Import features from a VCF file."""
+        return FeatureSource(
+            self._jvm,
+            self._vs_api,
+            self._jsql,
+            self.sql,
+            self._jvsc.importVCF(vcf_file_path, min_partitions),
+        )
+
+    @params(self=object, cov_file_path=str, cov_types=(list, dict))
+    def import_covariates(self, cov_file_path, cov_types):
+        """Import covariates from a CSV file."""
+        if isinstance(cov_types, list):
+            types_rdd = self._jvm.SparkContext.parallelize(cov_types)
+        elif isinstance(cov_types, dict):
+            types_rdd = self._jvm.SparkContext.parallelize(cov_types.items())
+        else:
+            types_rdd = None
+        return CovariateSource(
+            self._jvm,
+            self._vs_api,
+            self._jsql,
+            self.sql,
+            self._jvsc.importCSV(inputFile=cov_file_path, optVariableTypes=types_rdd),
+        )
 
     @params(self=object, label_file_path=str, col_name=str)
     def load_label(self, label_file_path, col_name):
-        """ Loads the label source file
+        """Loads the label source file
 
         :param label_file_path: The file path for the label source file
         :param col_name: the name of the column containing labels
@@ -68,8 +95,7 @@ def load_label(self, label_file_path, col_name):
         return self._jvsc.loadLabel(label_file_path, col_name)
 
     def stop(self):
-        """ Shut down the VariantsContext.
-        """
+        """Shut down the VariantsContext."""
 
         self.sc.stop()
         self.sc = None