diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/table.py b/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
index cf136669d773..510f86b87cf8 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/table.py
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ def _parse_schema_resource(info):
     for r_field in info['fields']:
         name = r_field['name']
         field_type = r_field['type']
-        mode = r_field['mode']
+        mode = r_field.get('mode', 'NULLABLE')
         description = r_field.get('description')
         sub_fields = _parse_schema_resource(r_field)
         schema.append(
diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py b/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
index 345c7d4cbdac..ddfeae95220c 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/test_table.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class _SchemaBase(object):
     def _verify_field(self, field, r_field):
         self.assertEqual(field.name, r_field['name'])
         self.assertEqual(field.field_type, r_field['type'])
-        self.assertEqual(field.mode, r_field['mode'])
+        self.assertEqual(field.mode, r_field.get('mode', 'NULLABLE'))
 
     def _verifySchema(self, schema, resource):
         r_fields = resource['schema']['fields']
@@ -1274,6 +1274,15 @@ def test__parse_schema_resource_subfields(self):
         schema = self._callFUT(RESOURCE['schema'])
         self._verifySchema(schema, RESOURCE)
 
+    def test__parse_schema_resource_fields_without_mode(self):
+        RESOURCE = self._makeResource()
+        RESOURCE['schema']['fields'].append(
+            {'name': 'phone',
+             'type': 'STRING'})
+
+        schema = self._callFUT(RESOURCE['schema'])
+        self._verifySchema(schema, RESOURCE)
+
 
 class Test_build_schema_resource(unittest2.TestCase, _SchemaBase):