So, here’s a crazy one. The University of Tennessee is apparently offering a course called Grand Theft America: U.S. History Since 1980 through the GTA Video Games. Yeah, you read that right. A legit college class built around the Grand Theft Auto series.
It’s honestly kind of wild when you think about it. We’re still sitting here waiting for GTA 6, which has become one of the most anticipated video games of all time, and yet universities are already turning the franchise into a way to study history. That’s peak GTA energy right there.
And honestly, it makes sense in a weird way. GTA has always been more than just a crime game. Each entry is like a time capsule, stuffed with social commentary, satire, and exaggerated reflections of American culture. From Vice City’s neon-soaked 80s parody to GTA IV’s gritty post-9/11 immigrant dream, the games unintentionally document slices of American history—just in a chaotic, absurd, and often over-the-top way.
So the fact that a university course is treating GTA like cultural history material isn’t really that far-fetched. If movies, TV, and music can be studied through an academic lens, why not video games? And if you’re gonna use video games to study modern America, GTA is basically the perfect series to do it with.
But it’s still hilarious to think about. Imagine telling your parents you’re paying thousands in tuition to take “Grand Theft America.” That sounds like a DLC expansion, not a college class.
The funniest part, though? We’ve now officially got a GTA college course before Rockstar even drops GTA 6. I guess that’s the most Rockstar thing ever—make us wait forever, and in the meantime, let the academic world start analyzing the games like they’re Shakespeare.
