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Educational Helps | 9 Minutes

What Exactly Is Omnibus?

Omnibus is Veritas Press’s signature Great Books curriculum, a six-year program that weaves together history, theology, and literature to teach students how to engage the ideas that have shaped Western civilization. The student who can engage with these works is a student who is prepared for life, equipped to navigate the world of competing ideas and find their way home. The name is Latin for “all-encompassing,“ and that’s exactly what it is: a comprehensive humanities education grounded in primary sources and a Christian worldview.

The Quick Version

If you’re short on time, here’s what you need to know:

Omnibus is a Great Books curriculum for 7th–12th graders that combines history, theology, and literature.
Each year includes two courses: Primary (focused on primary-source historical works) and Secondary (focused on literature and theology from the same period).
Completing Primary and Secondary in a 12-month period earns 3 high school credits.
Omnibus I, II, and III cover ancient, medieval, and modern history at the honors level.
Omnibus IV, V, and VI repeat the cycle at the dual-enrollment (college) level.
You can take Omnibus through Self-Paced, You-Teach, or Live Online (VSA) formats.
You don’t have to complete all six years. Any engagement with the Great Books has lasting value.

Want to dig deeper? Read on. But first check out this clip from one of our live online Omnibus teachers, Sarah Gavin:

How Omnibus Works

Omnibus is built on a simple conviction: students learn best when they encounter great ideas in their original context. Instead of reading about Homer, they read Homer. Instead of summarizing Augustine, they wrestle with his arguments directly.

Each year of Omnibus pairs two courses:

Primary courses focus on primary-source historical works and events from the period covered. These are the anchors—the texts that defined an era. Think Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History, or The Prince by Machiavelli.

Secondary courses cover literature and theology from the same period, offering balance and a slightly lighter workload. Secondary provides depth without doubling the reading load. Think The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, or The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

The six years of Omnibus* follow a repeating historical cycle. This structure means you can enter at multiple points depending on your student’s grade level, academic readiness, and which historical period fits their transcript needs.

Note: grade Level is only reflected based on wanting to complete all 6 years. Grade level doesn't explicitly correlate to Omnibus level.

*“Omnibus” in this chart references both Primary & Secondary Omnibus courses done together.

This structure means you can enter at multiple points depending on your student’s grade level, academic readiness, and which historical period fits their transcript needs.

Do you have to do all 6 years of Omnibus?

Omnibus is flexible. Any study of the Great Books will be of value in your student’s growth as they learn to face the issues of this world with a biblical perspective. You can take one year or complete all six. The choice is yours, depending on the academic goals of your students.

Whether you plan to do all twelve classes over six years or only one, students will benefit for the rest of their lives by joining the "Great Conversation." How many classes you take may depend on how you plan to use Veritas to fulfill your student’s high school credit.

Learning can happen in all three formats: You Teach, Self-Paced, and Live Online.

Three Ways to Learn

Omnibus is available in three formats. The content is the same; the delivery differs.

Which version of the Omnibus curriculum is right for your family? It depends upon your student’s goals, abilities, and learning styles and how much or little time you, as a parent, have to put into the program.

A note on Self-Paced: Self-Paced Omnibus is currently available for levels 1–3 only (Primary and Secondary). Courses can be set to “Audit“ format if you want flexibility to skip sections—though audited courses aren’t graded and don’t qualify for the Diploma Program. Email info@veritaspress.com to request audit format.

When to Start (and Where)

Omnibus is designed for 7th–12th graders, but grade level doesn’t dictate Omnibus level. A motivated 7th grader can begin with Omnibus I. A 10th grader new to Veritas might also start with Omnibus I and complete the honors cycle (I, II, III) before graduation.

Key considerations:

Readiness matters more than age. Omnibus I, II, and III are honors-level work. Review the book list for each level before enrolling a younger student.
You don’t need to do all six years. Many families complete one cycle (three years) based on their student’s starting point and transcript needs.
You can mix and match. A student might take Primary live and Secondary self-paced, or vice versa.

Not sure where to start? Reach out to a Family Consultant. They can help you find the right entry point for your student.

How to Choose the Right Level

Omnibus requires substantial reading. Before selecting a level—or altering the standard sequence—consider three things:

1. How much time do you have?

If your student is starting Omnibus in 11th grade, you have two years. Don’t try to compress six years into two. Pick the cycle and levels that serve your student’s goals and transcript needs.

2. Is your student a strong reader?

Strong readers can handle the more demanding texts. If reading is a struggle, start with an earlier level or focus on the more accessible books within a given year. Audiobooks count: many students listen while doing other tasks.

3. Do you want depth or breadth?

Self-Paced and Live courses provide depth. You-Teach allows for a faster survey if that better fits your goals. Neither approach is wrong; they serve different purposes.

If you’re considering changing the sequence:

Don’t skip levels just to avoid difficulty. Struggling builds reading muscles.
If you do alter the order, plan multiple years ahead so the progression makes sense.
If your student is struggling, adjust the pace and book selection within the current year before switching years entirely.

Omnibus on Your Homeschool Transcript

Omnibus is not a term always understood by colleges on transcripts. Consequently, we have developed course language that colleges understand and accept. The chart below provides the names we recommend if a student has taken both the Primary and Secondary courses in a 12-month period:

Calculating a Combined Grade

Primary courses are weighted 60%, Secondary 40%:

(Primary grade × 0.6) + (Secondary grade × 0.4) = Combined grade

This combined grade applies to each of the three credits.

Teaching Omnibus Yourself

If you’re using the You-Teach format, two things will serve you well:

Get the teacher CD. It comes with the Omnibus textbook and includes grading guidance and discussion notes.
Read alongside your student. You don’t need to read everything, but reading the major texts enables the conversations that make Omnibus memorable. Audiobooks work if you’re short on time.

Want to go deeper? We offer the same training seminar our live-online teachers complete. These three sessions cover every aspect of teaching Omnibus:

Session 1: Preludes, recitations, and writing assignments
Session 2: Discussion classes (the most common session type)
Session 3: Activities and evaluations

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Omnibus FAQ

Q. Wow! That’s a lot of books. How can my student get through them all?

A. They don’t have to read every word at the same pace. Some texts reward skimming (Herodotus’s Histories); others deserve slow attention (Homer’s Odyssey). Audiobooks are legitimate. Listening while biking or doing chores counts.

Q. How long does the Omnibus reading take each day?

A. It varies by student. For some, an hour or two. For slower readers or denser texts, more. Comprehension and technique matter as much as raw speed.

Q. What if we can’t do all 6 years of Omnibus?

A. That’s fine. Identify the history your student needs for their transcript, decide between honors (I–III) or dual enrollment (IV–VI), and choose accordingly.

Q. Omnibus Primary and Secondary are separate classes, but I don’t see “Primary” or “Secondary” listed on the textbooks in the Veritas Press store. How do I know what book to buy?

A. Each level Omnibus textbook covers both Omnibus Primary and Omnibus Secondary, all in one book! Watch the video below to learn more about Omnibus textbooks:

Q. My student is geared toward STEM. What use is a Great Books education in that field?

A. A Great Books education teaches students to read carefully, argue clearly, and think across disciplines, skills that serve them in any field. Read more about STEM and the Great Books.

Q. Will Omnibus help my students when they go to college?

A. Not only are all Omnibus courses completed through our Live-Online classes considered honors-level on high school transcripts, but there are also many other reasons why an Omnibus education will give your student an advantage in college.

Q. Some of the Omnibus books describe characters doing things that are condemned in the Bible. Why is content like this included?

A. The Great Books include examples of both virtue and vice that are intended to spark discussions that will cement a true appreciation of Biblical morality in students. Here's a full explanation of how the Omnibus curriculum is designed to help your students become capable followers of Christ and conscientious spiritual leaders.

Q. What makes the books on the Omnibus list “Great Books”?

A. There are several criteria that we took into consideration when building the reading lists for Omnibus.