University of Tennessee to Offer ‘Grand Theft Auto’ History Class

Summary

• The University of Tennessee is launching a new history class, Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games
• The course, will use the Grand Theft Auto series to teach US history since 1980
• Taught by Professor Tore Olsson, the class begins on January 20, 2026

The worlds of academia and gaming are colliding in a bold new way. On January 20, 2026, the University of Tennessee will launch a groundbreaking new history course titled Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games. The class, devised and taught by history professor Tore Olsson, will be the first of its kind, offering a unique lens through which to examine modern American history.

The curriculum will use the beloved and controversial Grand Theft Auto series as its primary teaching tool. By delving into the games’ sprawling, satirical narratives and meticulously crafted fictional worlds, students will explore themes of consumerism, political corruption, the American Dream, and urban decay over the last 40 years. Professor Olsson’s approach recognizes that the games, while fictional, are powerful cultural artifacts that reflect and comment on real-world history in a way that resonates with a new generation. Speaking to IGN, Professor Olsson said of the idea behind the class,

“Video games are great at conjuring fictional worlds, but they also impact players’ thinking about real-world times and places… In my class, I take seriously GTA’s fictional representation of the United States: its characters, its urban and rural landscapes, and its storylines. And I use that world as the framing device for a serious history class that examines what’s actually taken place in the United States over the last half-century. The class is much more about American history than the games themselves, but GTA provides the framework that structures our exploration of the past. My hope is that after the class, students will never look at these games, or modern America, the same again.”

This innovative course proves that history is not confined to textbooks. It is an experiment in a new form of education, showing that the most effective way to teach is often through mediums that students are already passionate about. As fans continue to wait for the highly anticipated GTA 6, students at the University of Tennessee will be busy analyzing the history that made the franchise what it is today.

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