TL;DR
- The University of Tennessee is launching a course titled Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games.
- It starts on January 20, 2026, taught by history professor Tore Olsson.
- The class uses the Grand Theft Auto video game series as a lens for exploring U.S. history since 1980—covering themes like political corruption, economic inequality, urban decay, globalization, media polarization, etc.
- Students are not required to play the games; the course will use gameplay footage and other materials for study.
In a move reflecting video games’ growing place in cultural and academic study, the University of Tennessee is offering a new history course that uses the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise to explore broader social, political, and economic developments in the United States since 1980.
Course Details
- Name: Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games
- Instructor: Professor Tore Olsson, a history professor with prior experience using video games in academic settings (notably his class on Red Dead Redemption) for similar historical exploration.
- Start Date: January 20, 2026.
- Focus & Method: The syllabus will examine how various GTA titles reflect or satirize real-world history: from economic shifts and consumerism to immigration, racial and urban issues. It will use gameplay screenshots, narrative elements, urban settings in the games, and satirical elements—while centering assignments and exams on U.S. history rather than on gameplay mechanics.
Why It Matters
This course is representative of a broader shift in higher education: recognizing video games not merely as entertainment but as cultural artifacts that can help illuminate historical trends. GTA is particularly rich for this kind of study because the series has long woven in social commentary—often exaggerating, but frequently pointing to real concerns in American culture.
It also has the potential to engage students who may feel history courses are too removed from their everyday cultural experience; using a popular, well-known video game franchise may help make discussions of politics, economics, urban policy, and social change more accessible.
The University of Tennessee’s Grand Theft America course represents an intriguing blending of pop culture and academia. It might challenge how many people think about video games—not just as escapism, but as windows into the forces that shape modern America. For students, it promises both relevance and critical thinking: examining the fantasies, satire, and exaggerations of a wildly popular game alongside the real history that inspired or resembles them.
FAQs
No. The professor stated students will not be required to own or play the games. The class will use gameplay clips, images, narrative analysis, etc. to discuss historical themes.
The course will draw on several GTA titles (for example Vice City, San Andreas, GTA IV) that cover different eras and societal issues, using their settings, stories, and themes for historical comparison.
Topics include economic inequality, globalization, immigration, political corruption, media polarization, urbanization, and how pop culture reflects and shapes societal values.
He is a history professor at the University of Tennessee known for previous courses that use video games (such as Red Dead Redemption) to explore history.
GTA VI is delayed and not available in time for the Spring 2026 start, so the course will rely on existing games in the series. The delay means the course won’t include GTA VI initially.
