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APA Guide: 7th Edition

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Student Paper Example

• Student Paper Example This is a student paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Professional Paper Example

• Professional Paper Example This is a professional paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Student Title Page Elements

The title page includes the following elements: Page number, Paper title, Author, Author Affiliation, Course, Instructor, and Due Date .  Remember, your instructor can include other requirements for your assignment.  Refer to their instructions carefully.

Your title page and paper is double-spaced. Use 1-inch margins. 

Acceptable Fonts:

• 11-point Calibri 
• 11-point Arial
• 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode 
• 12-point Times New Roman
• 11-point Georgia
• 10-point Computer Modern 1 
• Should summarize the main idea in a succinct way .
• Include strong keywords so that readers can find your work in a database or by using a search engine.
• Avoid using abbreviations in a title.
• The title should be provided in title case .  This means that all major words are capitalized. 
• Be bolded, centered, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper.
• Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline.
• The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.

Author Name(s) (Byline)

• Beneath the title, type the  author's or authors' full name(s) .
• Do not use titles or degrees.
• ​Order the names of authors based on their contributions.
• Write all of the names on the same line.
• Center the names in a standard font.
• Smith and Doe
• Smith, Doe, and Jones

Author Affiliation

• Identify where you worked or studied when the body of work was completed.
• Include no more than two affiliations for each author.
• Example:  College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington
• Include the department or division.
• Include the name of the institution.
• Include the location of the institution.
• Example:  Hematology/Oncology, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
• Include the location.

Locations should include the city, state, province, and country.

Course Name

• Put the course number and name below the Author Affiliation.
• Check with your instructor on the preferred name.
• Place the month, date, and year after the Instructor(s) name(s).

See the example title page below:

All content on this guide comes from the 7th edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and from the APA Style Blog.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association ( 7th ed.).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000  

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / Formatting an APA title page

Formatting an APA title page

The title page is a requirement for all APA papers. The primary role of the title page is to present just that: the title. But that’s only the beginning of what is actually required for a properly formatted APA title page. This is the first chance a writer has to truly engage with the reader.

For students, the title page also lets people know which class, professor, and institution the text was written for. For professional authors, the title page is an opportunity to share any affiliations or conflicts of interest that might be present.

APA Style recognizes two different ways to format a title page. One is for student papers and the other is for professional papers. This guide will examine the difference and provide real-life examples of both.

The information provided below comes from the 7 th edition of the APA’s Publication Manual . You can read more about title page elements in Sections 2.1 – 2.8.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

The difference between a professional title page and a student title page in APA

Elements of an apa style title page, apa formatting title page example, conclusion: formatting a title page in apa 7.

Both student and professional title pages require a title, author, and an affiliation. Both types of title page also require the same basic formatting, including 1-inch indentations on all sides and a page number in the top right corner.

The primary difference is that professional title pages also require an author note and a running head. However, some professors do ask that you provide some of these elements in student papers. It’s a good idea to know how to format them just in case.

Student title page APA

An APA title page for any paper being submitted for a class, degree, or thesis is all about the basics. Here are the elements that should be included in a student title page :

• Title of your paper
• Byline (author or authors)
• Affiliation (department and university)
• Course name and course number
• Instructor name

Page number

Your professor or institution might have their own formatting requirements. When writing a paper for a class, the first rule is to always pay attention to the instructions.

Professional title page APA

A professional title page skips the class info and due date, but it includes:

• Affiliation (division and/or organization)
• Author note
• Running head

The author note and running head are generally only required for professional papers. However, some professors might ask that you include one or both of them. Be sure to check the assignment instructions before submitting.

The title of your paper is really important. This is where the author needs to simultaneously inform and engage the reader without being overly wordy.

An effective title will:

• Engage the reader
• Concisely explain the main topic of research
• Concisely explain any relevant variables or theoretical issues

The paper title should be placed three or four lines down from the top margin of the page. It should be presented in bold, title case, and centered on the page.

Author/Byline

The correct way to display the author’s name is first name, middle initial, and last name. The most important thing is to prevent the possibility of mistaken identity. After all, there are a lot of papers published every year, and it’s possible that someone else has the same name as you do.

For all author bylines in APA, all licenses and degrees are omitted (e.g., Dr., Professor, PhD, RN, etc.).

If your paper has multiple authors, then they should all be listed in the same way, in order of their contributions. All authors should be on the same line, unless more lines are required.

Here’s an example of a properly formatted byline for a paper with two authors:

Cassandra M. Berkman and Wilhelm K. Jackson

Affiliation

The affiliation element is where you identify the place where the work was conducted or who it was conducted for. This is almost always a university or institution. In some cases, there are multiple affiliations for one author, or multiple authors with different affiliations.

Academic affiliations

Academic affiliations include schools, universities, and teaching hospitals. The affiliation line should include the specific department followed by the name of the institution. There is no need to include a location for academic affiliations.

Here is an example of what a basic academic affiliation line should look like:

Department of Psychology, Colorado State University

Non-academic affiliations

Non-academic affiliations are anything that isn’t a school or university, which could be a hospital, laboratory, or just about any type of organization. The affiliation line for a non-academic organization should include the department or division, followed by the name and location of the organization. All elements should be separated by commas.

Here’s how it looks when put to use:

Vidant Health, Greenville, NC, United States

Course number and name (Student only)

Use the course number and course name as they appear on official university materials. Examples:

• ENG 204: Modern English Literature
• PSYC 2301: Research Methodology

Instructor name (Student papers only)

It’s important that you display your instructor’s name in their preferred way. With academics who have multiple degrees and positions, this isn’t something that you should guess at.

It is generally safe to use the course syllabus to see how they prefer to be listed. For example, some use the word “Professor” as their prefix, and many will have PhD, RN, or other type of professional designation.

Due date (Student papers only)

The due date should be presented in the day, month, and year format that is standard to your country.

The page number goes at the top right-hand side of the paper. This is one of the only elements that appears on every single page.

You can add running page numbers to your paper by double-clicking the header portion of the document or clicking the “Insert” tab. It will automatically insert page numbers into the rest of the document.

Author note (Professional papers only)

The author note is usually only required for professional papers. This is where additional data, disclaimers, conflicts of interest, and statements about funding are placed. In some cases, the author statement can be several pages long.

The author note is generally split into four paragraphs, including:

• ORCID iD (a scientific/academic author ID)
• Changes of Affiliation
• Disclosures and Acknowledgments
• Contact Information

Section 2.7 of the Publication Manual has even more information on how to structure these elements for a professional paper.

Running Head (Professional papers only)

While some student papers might require a running head, this is something that is typically only for papers being submitted for publication. This is an abbreviated version of your title that appears at the top of every page to help readers identify it. The running title is particularly useful especially in print versions of journals and publications.

The running head does not have to use the same words as they appear in your title. Instead, try to re-work your paper’s main idea into a shortened form.

For example, if your paper’s title is:

“A Mystery of Style: Exploring the Formatting Mechanics of the Running Head According  to APA Style 7th Edition”

Then your abbreviated title can be something like:

“RUNNING HEAD IN APA 7”

“FORMATTING THE RUNNING HEAD”

The idea is to convey only the most important aspects of your title. The running head should be entered in the page header, flush left against the margin, and presented in all-capital letters.

The APA suggests a maximum length of 50 characters (including spaces and punctuation) for a running head. If your title is already 50 characters and under, then you can use the whole thing as the running head.

Next, let’s have a look at an example of what a real APA title page looks like when it’s all put together.

Student title page formatting example

Professional title page formatting example

All papers written according to APA Style should have a properly formatted title page. Making sure that the title page elements are accurate and informative will help people access your work. It is also the first opportunity that you have as the author to establish credibility and engage the reader.

For more information on the basic elements of an APA paper, check out Chapter 2 of the Publication Manual or our guide on APA format .

Published October 28, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

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An APA title page provides the details of the paper, such as the title of the paper, author name, and author affiliation. APA title pages have two formats—one for professional papers and one for student papers.

The elements to be added on the title page of a professional paper (in order of appearance) are:

• Page number and running head: These elements appear in the header section. The page number appears at the top-right corner, whereas the running head appears at the top-left corner. If the title is too long, the running head is shortened to less than 50 characters.
• Title of the paper: It provides information about the paper. It is aligned center and set in bold.
• Names of the authors: It gives the names of the contributors to the paper and is aligned center.
• Affiliations of the authors: It gives the department and university details of the authors.
• Author note: It gives extra information about the authors.

In a student paper, the following details are included on the title page:

• Page number: This appears in the top-right corner of the header section.
• Title of the paper: It gives the reader an idea of the information in the paper. It appears in title case and bold. It is center-aligned.
• Names of the authors: The names of the contributors are added here. This field is also called the by-line.
• Affiliations of the authors: It includes the names of the authors’ departments and universities.
• Name of the course: The name of the course for which the paper is written is included in this field.
• Name of the instructor: Unlike the professional paper, the instructor’s name is included in a student paper.
• Due date of the assignment: The due date of the assignment is added here. The format is “Month Day, Year” (e.g., August 22, 2017).

The title page information for APA is different for a professional paper and a student paper. As a student, you need to include the following details in the same order on the title page of your student paper.

• Page number: This appears in the header section. Set the page number in the top-right corner of the header.
• Title of the paper: Set it in title case and bold. Align it to the center.
• Names of the authors: Provide the names of the contributors. This field is also called the by-line.
• Affiliations of the authors: Include your department and university name.
• Name of the course: Provide the name of the course and course number for which the paper is written.
• Name of the instructor: Add the instructor’s name. There is no rigid rule on how to set the instructor’s name. You can set it according to the instructor’s preference.
• Due date of the assignment: Add the due date of the assignment. The format should be “Month Day, Year” (e.g., August 23, 2021).

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What is an APA Title Page?

An APA Title Page refers to

• a Title Page for a longer document that is formatted according to the conventions prescribed by the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual .

The title page is comprised of four elements and two optional elements:

Related Concepts: Archive; Scholarly Conversation; Organization

The Title Page appears at the top of the first page of an APA-styled paper.

Like the rest of the paper, the title page should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. The margins are set at 1” on all sides.

Summary of Required & Optional Elements

• Page number
• Full title of paper
• Author byline (aka bio)
• Affiliated Institution(s) or Organization(s)
• Running head: The running head became optional in the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual.
• Author note

Required Components

• The full title of the paper is centered in the upper half of the page, and the first letter of each major word is capitalized. The paper’s title should be a maximum of 12 words and fill one or two lines; avoid using abbreviations and unnecessary words. Do not format the title with bold, italics, underlining, or quotation marks. The title should be centered in the upper portion of the page, centered, and written in boldface. Make sure to capitalize the major words of the title, such as The Silence of the Lambs . Keep your title as concise as possible! You’ll have plenty of time to be detailed in the body text.
• The author byline is comprised of the author(s)’ first name(s), middle initial(s), and last name(s); this line follows after the full title of the research paper. Note that two authors are separated by the word and, but more than two authors’ names are separated by commas. Do not include titles, degrees, or honorifics (Mr., Mrs., Mx., etc.).
• List the institutional affiliation of the author(s) involved with the research paper. Include the name of the college or university you attend, or the name of the organization(s) that provided support for your research.

Optional Components

• Running head (or shortened title) and label – Optional In accordance with APA 7th Edition updates, student papers typically no longer include a running head. If you are unsure about the need for a running head, be sure to consult with your professor. The running head and label is flush with the upper left-hand corner of the title page, while the page number is flush with the upper right-hand corner of the page. The label “Running head” should only appear on the title page; on all other pages, simply include the shortened title of the paper. All letters of the running head should be capitalized and should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation, letters, and spaces. Example: EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON MEMORY
• If you are a student, check to see whether your professor asked you to add any additional information in the Author note slot. Some professors require further information, including the date of submission, course number or title, or name of the professor. If your instructor requires you to include an author’s note, position it in the lower half of the title page. Follow your instructor’s directives regarding additional lines on the title page.

Example: APA Title Page of a Student Work

When creating the Title Page , professional and student papers have slightly different rules for APA. We’ll cover the rules that apply to both types first.

You’ll need to include the course number and name, the name of the professor, and the date your assignment is due. All of this should be done line by line beneath the name of your school.

Image courtesy of the APA style guide

Example: APA Title Page of a Professional Work

You’ll need to include an author’s note underneath your institution on the bottom half of the page. There will be a couple of brief paragraphs to write for this note.

• The first paragraph should have the author’s name and symbol and URL for the ORCID iD. The ORCID iD can be excluded if you don’t have one.
• The second paragraph should include any changes in the institution or deaths of the authors.
• The third paragraph should include any disclosures, acknowledgments, or relevant information related to either.
• The fourth/final paragraph is where you’ll include the contact information for the author.

If any of these paragraphs are irrelevant, there is no need to include them. Simply skip to the next relevant one.

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Title Page Template

Learn how to set up the title page of an APA Style student paper and professional paper, including the page header, title, author name and affiliation, course information, and author note.

Academic Writer

© 2023 American Psychological Association.

Students should use the student version of the title page unless their instructor has requested they use the professional version.  The student title page no longer requires a running head. 

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How to Make a Cover Page: APA and MLA Format

A cover page is the first page of a paper or report that lists basic information, such as the title, author(s), course name, instructor, date, and sometimes the name of the institution. Also known as a title page, a cover page is a requirement of some formatting styles. But certain instructors or assignments may request them regardless of the style requirements.

When a cover page is required, it has specific rules for what to include and how to format it that depend on the style. In this guide, we explain how to create a cover page in different formatting styles and what you need to use it correctly.

What is a cover page?

A cover page, also called a title page, is the first page of a research paper or report . The cover page is dedicated exclusively to basic information, such as the title and authors. The actual content of the paper begins on the page after the cover page.

When should a cover page be used?

Cover pages are not always required; it depends on either the formatting style or the particular assignment. Some instructors may request them, while others may not. Sooner or later students will likely have to write one, making them an important part of how to write a research paper .

How to make a cover page largely depends on which formatting style you’re using. Different styles have different rules, and some styles don’t require cover pages at all.

Specifically, a cover page is a requirement for papers written in APA format , which places the most emphasis on them. The APA format cover page is the most common and has the most thorough rules.

On the other hand, the MLA format requires a cover page only for group projects with more than one author . Otherwise, they are optional.

Chicago style does not require a cover page, although individual assignments written in Chicago may still request them.

How to make a cover page for students

For student writing , cover pages formatted in MLA or APA use most of the same information—the main difference is where they put it. Here’s the information you’ll need to include:

• course name
• institution or school (APA format only)

For professionals writing research papers, there are additional requirements. If you’re writing in APA format, check out our guide on APA format title pages , which explains the difference between a student cover page and a professional cover page.

How to format an APA cover page

Because APA places the most emphasis on its cover page, the APA format cover page is the most involved. Here are the rules for how to make a cover page in APA. Keep in mind that all lines except the page number are centered .

1 Place the page number (always 1 ) in the upper-right corner of the page, flush right with the one-inch page margin. This is part of the running head that goes on every page in APA format, although for student papers this header only includes the page number.

2 Three or four lines down (double-spaced) from the top page margin, write the paper’s title, centered and bolded. Use the standard rules for capitalization in titles .

3 Add one empty, double-spaced line after the title, and on the next line write the author’s name. Use a standard font (no bold or italics). For more than one author, use the word and before the last author and commas if there are three or more authors. Try to keep everyone’s name on the same line if you can.

4 On the next line, write your department or division of your school, and then the name of the school itself. Separate them with a comma.

5 On the line after your school’s name, write the name of the course, including the numeric code.

6 Write the full name of the instructor on the line below the course name. Include any honorific titles, such as Dr.

7 On the next and final line, write the date. It’s best to spell out the month for the sake of clarity.

APA cover page example

Milgrim Experiments Revisited: Authority’s Influence in Modern Times

Stanley Milgrim Jr. and Thomas Blass Jr.

Department of Psychology, Yale University

PSYC 140: Social Science Core

Dr. Steve Chang

May 10, 2023

How to format an MLA cover page

In the MLA format, a cover page is typically optional; this style prefers writing a paper’s basic information at the top of the first page of writing. Usually, a cover page is required in MLA only when there are multiple authors, although individual assignments may still request them even with only one author.

On an MLA cover page, all the information except for the title goes in the upper-left corner, flush with the one-inch page margins from the top and left side. All lines are double-spaced.

1 On the first line of the page, write the first student’s name.

2 If there are other authors, write each name on its own line after the first.

3 On the line after the final author, write the name of the instructor. You don’t need to include their full name, but it’s best to use their title, such as “Professor Green.”

4 On the next line, write the name of the course, including the numeric code.

5 On the line after the course name, write the date in either a day-month-year or month-day-year format; both are acceptable as long as you spell out the month (MLA does not use month abbreviations). 

6 Four or five double-spaced lines below the date, write the title of the paper. The title should be centered and in standard format (no bold or italics). As with the APA cover page format, use the standard rules for title capitalization.

MLA cover page example

Groucho Marx

Professor Palmer

10 May 2023

Nepotism in Hollywood: Why It’s Great

Cover page FAQs

A cover page (also known as a title page) is the first page of a paper or report that lists basic information, such as the title, author(s), course name, instructor, date, and sometimes the name of the institution.

Always use a title page when writing in APA format. If you’re writing in the MLA format, you only need a title page if there are multiple authors. Regardless of the formatting style, certain assignments may request a cover page.

What’s the difference between a cover page in APA format vs. MLA format?

The information on an APA format cover page is mostly centered and written in the middle of the page. An MLA format cover page has most of the information in the upper-left corner—with the exception of the title, which goes in the middle of the page. Each style also has specific rules for what information goes where, as well as particular formatting guidelines.

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General Format

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in APA.

You can also watch our APA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel .

General APA Guidelines

Your essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11"), with 1" margins on all sides.   Include a page header (also known as the “ running head ”) at the top of every page. For a professional paper, this includes your paper title and the page number. For a student paper, this only includes the page number. To create a page header/running head , insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual requires that the chosen font be accessible (i.e., legible) to all readers and that it be used consistently throughout the paper. It acknowledges that many font choices are legitimate, and it advises writers to check with their publishers, instructors, or institutions for guidance in cases of uncertainty.

While the APA Manual does not specify a single font or set of  fonts for professional writing, it does recommend a few fonts that are widely available. These include sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode as well as serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, 10-point Computer Modern.

Major Paper Sections

Your essay should include four major sections: the Title Page , Abstract , Main Body , and References .

Note: APA 7 provides slightly different directions for formatting the title pages of professional papers (e.g., those intended for scholarly publication) and student papers (e.g., those turned in for credit in a high school or college course).

The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author's name , and the institutional affiliation . A professional paper should also include the author note . A student paper should also include the course number and name , instructor name , and assignment due date .

Type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page. The title should be centered and written in boldface. APA recommends that your title be focused and succinct and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced.

Beneath the title, type the author's name : first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use titles (Dr.) or degrees (PhD).

Beneath the author's name, type the institutional affiliation , which should indicate the location where the author(s) conducted the research.

A professional paper should include the author note beneath the institutional affiliation, in the bottom half of the title page. This should be divided up into several paragraphs, with any paragraphs that are not relevant omitted. The first paragraph should include the author’s name, the symbol for the ORCID iD, and the URL for the ORCID iD. Any authors who do not have an ORCID iD should be omitted. The second paragraph should show any change in affiliation or any deaths of the authors. The third paragraph should include any disclosures or acknowledgements, such as study registration, open practices and data sharing, disclosure of related reports and conflicts of interest, and acknowledgement of financial support and other assistance. The fourth paragraph should include contact information for the corresponding author.

A student paper should not include an author note.

Note again that page headers/page numbers (described above for professional and student papers) also appear at the top of the title page. In other words, a professional paper's title page will include the title of the paper flush left in all capitals and the page number flush right, while a student paper will only contain the page number flush right.

Student APA title page

Title page for a student paper in APA 7 style.

Professional paper APA title page

Title page for a professional paper in APA 7 style.

Begin a new page. Your abstract page should already include the page header (described above). On the first line of the abstract page, center and bold the word “Abstract” (no italics, underlining, or quotation marks).

Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent.) Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. You may also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. Your abstract should be a single paragraph, double-spaced. Your abstract should typically be no more than 250 words.

You may also want to list keywords from your paper in your abstract. To do this, indent as you would if you were starting a new paragraph, type Keywords: (italicized), and then list your keywords. Listing your keywords will help researchers find your work in databases.

Abstracts are common in scholarly journal articles and are not typically required for student papers unless advised by an instructor. If you are unsure whether or not your work requires an abstract, consult your instructor for further guidance.

APA Abstract Page

Abstract page for a student paper in APA 7 style.

Please see our Sample APA Paper resource to see an example of an APA paper. You may also visit our Additional Resources page for more examples of APA papers.

How to Cite the Purdue OWL in APA

Individual resources.

The page template for the new OWL site does not include contributors' names or the page's last edited date. However, select pages  still include this information.

In the absence of contributor/edit date information, treat the page as a source with a group author and use the abbreviation "n.d." for "no date":

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.).  Title of resource.  Purdue Online Writing Lab. http://Web address for OWL resource

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.).  General Writing FAQs. Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/general_writing_faqs.html

The generic APA citation for OWL pages, which includes author/edit date information, is this:

Contributors' names. (Last edited date).  Title of resource . Site Name. http://Web address for OWL resource

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

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Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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An APA title page , also known as a cover page, is the first page of a research paper or essay. It contains key information about the document, including such elements as the title, student's name, institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor's name and the due date.

As you know, most tutors pay close attention to how you arrange your assignment, and a cover page is one of many requirements to get a good grade. This article will explain peculiarities of an APA 7th edition title page. We have gathered all crucial details and added helpful examples for you to catch the drift.

What Is a Title Page APA? 

APA format title page is the first thing you should keep in mind while working on an assignment in this formatting style. It is obligatory to have one for all APA format in paper .  Here, your main task is to get your reader acquainted with what your writing will be about. Undoubtedly, readers' first glance always falls on your chosen title. Therefore it should not be tedious. It should provide information about your course, professor, institutional affiliation, etc. In case you are looking for APA appendix , read one more blog we have at our website.

APA Title Page Format

Now let's talk about ways of APA title page formatting. Even though writing style stays without changes, guidelines for professional and student papers are somewhat different. Here we will review discrepancies between these two types.

Student Version

Assignments written by students during their studies all fall under category of student version papers. Their title pages include these components:

• Paper heading
• Author (student) name
• University name
• Course name and number
• Instructor name
• Paper's due date.

Professional Version

Professional papers are assignments that professional researchers or professors work on.

The elements included in a professional version slightly differ from ones of the student version. They are:

• Running head
• Paper title
• Author name or names
• Author affiliations
• Author note.

Note that professional version has the running head APA located flush left on top. In general, student version has only the page number flush right on top. Still, a running head can also be included if your instructor requests it. 

Six Elements of APA Title Page 

It's time to describe general elements of a standard APA style title page. There are 6 of them.

1. Paper Title

First of all, your heading should be catchy and informative. It should also sum up your chosen topic. So use only relevant words to compose an excellent header. Here is how one should locate it:

• 3-4 lines from the top
• Center-aligned
• Written in bold font
• Written in title case

See? That's easy, so let's move to the next element. 

Make an indent after the title and center author's name. Mention their full name – first, middle and last names at once. If an author is a Doctor, a Professor, or has a degree (Ph.D.), don't include this information.

4. Course Information

Information about the course is the requirement for student versions only. Specify it under institutional affiliation and make it centered. Include course number and its name, separated by a colon.

5. Author Note

Professional versions usually include author notes (identification of author’s department and institutional affiliation) on the bottom half of the page. Locate them under "Author note" label, which should be centered and bolded. The beginning of each note is left-aligned with an indent between new paragraphs. 

A header is the text that appears on top of a page and is separated from the body text. A student version includes only page number in the top right corner. Therefore, one doesn't need to have a running head here like it was required in the 6th APA edition.  However, if it's a professional version, a running head is obligatory. It is your paper title, all capitalized, aligned left on top.

There are many details one should pay attention to while creating an APA title page. However, we believe that memorizing all of them won't be a trouble for you with our explanation and examples. Even if you are looking for an APA abstract example , you will get it with us.

If you don't have enough free time for all this formatting stuff, you can always ask our writers for help. They have great experience in writing assignments in any well-known format. Be it an APA, MLA, Chicago, or another one, our experts will follow all requirements and deliver a masterpiece.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. does the title page count as page 1 in apa paper.

A title page in APA format is included in overall page count of a paper. It also carries number 1 as you paginate your assignment.

2. What is the preferred APA title page font size?

Font size you want to use here should correspond to the one used in your paper body. Usually, it’s 12pt. Times New Roman.

APA Title Page Example

You can see an example for student papers below:

APA Title Page Template

Here is an example of a professional version:

Multiple Authors APA Title Page

If there are two authors, you should list them in order of their input. Separate their names with the word "and." For example:

If three or more authors contributed to a paper, split their names with the comma, and add "and" before last author name. For instance:

3. Institutional Affiliation

Put institutional affiliation under author's name on the next line. If it's a student's paper, they should specify an institution and unit they are studying at. If it's a professional version, the analyst should identify a particular organization where they made their research activities. If there are multiple authors from particular affiliations, superscript numbers will come in handy. However, keep in mind that if all authors come from the same institution, there is no need to assign them superscript numbers. Here is an example:

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APA Title Page

For most assignments written in APA format, a correctly laid out APA title page is essential.

This article is a part of the guide:

• Outline Examples
• Example of a Paper
• Write a Hypothesis
• Introduction
• Example of a Paper 2

Browse Full Outline

• 1 Write a Research Paper
• 2 Writing a Paper
• 3.1 Write an Outline
• 3.2 Outline Examples
• 4.1 Thesis Statement
• 4.2 Write a Hypothesis
• 5.2 Abstract
• 5.3 Introduction
• 5.4 Methods
• 5.5 Results
• 5.6 Discussion
• 5.7 Conclusion
• 5.8 Bibliography
• 6.1 Table of Contents
• 6.2 Acknowledgements
• 6.3 Appendix
• 7.1 In Text Citations
• 7.2 Footnotes
• 7.3.1 Floating Blocks
• 7.4 Example of a Paper
• 7.5 Example of a Paper 2
• 7.6.1 Citations
• 7.7.1 Writing Style
• 7.7.2 Citations
• 8.1.1 Sham Peer Review
• 8.1.2 Advantages
• 8.1.3 Disadvantages
• 8.2 Publication Bias
• 8.3.1 Journal Rejection
• 9.1 Article Writing
• 9.2 Ideas for Topics

A correctly formatted title page is very quick and easy to do, so there is no excuse for getting it wrong. It’s the very first part of your paper that anyone will see, so a glaring mistake here will create a bad impression, long before anybody starts to assess the quality of your work.

It’s a cliché, but people really do judge a book (or research paper !) by its cover.

There is an APA approved standard for title pages but, again, it’s important to inquire about the specific requirements for your department and university. APA, or any other style for that matter, is only a guide, and most departments have developed their own requirements to suit their own needs.

Figure 1 shows an example of an APA title page. Please note that, for clarity, the font size is slightly larger than the recommended 12 pt. Times New Roman.

Creating an APA Title Page

1) The Title

This is the most important part, and should be center aligned, about halfway down the page. This is the full title of the research paper, dissertation or thesis.

2) Personal Details

At the bottom of the page, center aligned, should be your name, your institution and the date of submission.

This is the most variable part of the title page, and you may need to include the name of your supervisor and also the level of paper - dissertation, thesis, and term paper. Check your departmental recommendations.

3) The Running Head

This is a shortened version of the title, no more than 50 characters long, and is the header that you will use at the top of each page. This needs to be left justified.

4) The Page Number

This needs to be made using the header function available in word processing programs. The running header should be separated from the page number by 5 or 7 spaces, and will appear on every page throughout the document. It must be right aligned.

APA Title Page Examples  

Final Remarks

These simple instructions will give you a good title page that will reflect favorably upon all the hard work that you have put into your paper. There is no need to add anything, simply follow the APA guidelines.

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Martyn Shuttleworth (Nov 2, 2009). APA Title Page. Retrieved Apr 13, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/apa-title-page

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• APA Style 6th edition
• APA title page (6th edition)

APA Title Page (6th edition) | Guidelines, Example, Template

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk .

An APA title page must include:

• A running head (including page number)
• The title of your paper (one or two lines long)
• The full name of the author(s)
• Your university or institution

Additional information, such as a course number or an author’s note, should be placed on a separate line below the institution.

APA title page template

Table of contents

Apa title page example, general formatting guidelines, running head, paper title, author name(s), setting up the title page.

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The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

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The APA cover page adheres to the  general APA formatting guidelines :

• 12 pt Times New Roman
• Double line spacing
• 1 inch (2.54 cm) margins

The formatting requirements for each element on the APA title page are listed below.

Write “Running head:” followed by a (shortened) version of your paper’s title. It must be:

• Left aligned
• Capitalized
• Maximum 50 characters (not including the words “running head:”)

Read more on how to  insert and format a running head .

Use an informative, striking title that summarizes the main idea of your paper.

• Apply title case ( capitalize the first letter of each word, except small words such as articles and short prepositions )
• Keep it shorter than 12 words
• Don’t use abbreviations or contractions
• Place the title in the center of the page

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The names of the authors are written in full (first name, initial of middle name(s), last name). Include the names of all authors in order of contribution. Don’t include titles (Dr., Prof.) or degrees (PhD, MSc).

APA title page with multiple authors

There are specific guidelines for multiple authors. The formatting guidelines depend on whether the authors have the same affiliation.

This video will demonstrate how to set up the title page in Google Docs.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2020, November 06). APA Title Page (6th edition) | Guidelines, Example, Template. Scribbr. Retrieved April 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/6th-edition/archived-title-page/

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APA Style 7th Edition Resource Guide

• St. Kate's APA Resources and Online APA Course
• In-Text Citations
• Paper Formatting

Paper Format Guidance

Title page guide and sample papers, table of contents.

• Headings, Tables & Figures
• Citing Business Sources
• Paper Format Everything you need to know about formatting an APA paper (from the official APA Style website)

The student paper format is usually used at the undergraduate level for class assignments; the professional paper format is usually used by graduate students and by those writing a formal research paper.  Ask your instructors which title page format they prefer that you use if they have not specified one.

• Title Page Setup for Student and Professional Papers
• Student Paper Setup Guide
• Sample Papers and Paper Templates

APA provides no guidance for creating a table of contents. This is a technical/software issue; not an aspect of APA Style. You should consult your instructor about their preference as a table of contents can be constructed in many ways. We recommend that you review the links below or do an internet search to find information about creating a TOC.

• Microsoft instructions for inserting a table of contents
• Google Docs instructions for adding a table of contents
• << Previous: In-Text Citations
• Next: Headings, Tables & Figures >>
• Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 1:53 PM
• URL: https://libguides.stkate.edu/apaguide

©2024 St. Catherine University Library , St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Free Cover Page templates

Create impressive cover pages for your assignments and projects online in just a click. choose from hundreds of free templates and customize them with edit.org..

Create impressive cover pages in a few minutes with Edit.org, and give your projects and assignments a professional and unique touch. A well-designed title page or project front page can positively impact your professor's opinion of your homework, which can improve your final grade!

Create a personalized report cover page

After writing the whole report, dissertation, or paper, which is the hardest part, you should now create a cover page that suits the rest of the project. Part of the grade for your work depends on the first impression of the teacher who corrects it.

We know not everyone is a professional designer, and that's why Edit.org wants to help you. Having a professional title page can give the impression you've put a great deal of time and effort into your assignment, as well as the impression you take the subject very seriously. Thanks to Edit.org, everyone can become a professional designer. This way, you'll only have to worry about doing a great job on your assignment.

On the editor, you will also find free resume templates  and other educational and professional designs.

Customize an essay cover page with Edit.org

• Go to formats on the home page and choose Cover pages.
• Choose the template that best suits the project.
• You can add your images or change the template background color.
• Add your report information and change the font type and colors if needed.
• Save and download it. The cover page is ready to make your work shine!

Free editable templates for title pages

As you can see, it's simple to create cover pages for schoolwork and it won’t take much time. We recommend using the same colors on the cover as the ones you used for your essay titles to create a cohesive design. It’s also crucial to add the name and logo of the institution for which you are doing the essay. A visually attractive project is likely to be graded very well, so taking care of the small details will make your work look professional.

On Edit.org, you can also reuse all your designs and adapt them to different projects. Thanks to the users' internal memory, you can access and edit old templates anytime and anywhere.

Take a look at other options we propose on the site. Edit.org helps design flyers, business cards, and other designs useful in the workplace. The platform was created so you don't need to have previous design knowledge to achieve a spectacular cover page! Start your cover page design now.

Create online Cover Pages for printing

You can enter our free graphic editor from your phone, tablet or computer. The process is 100% online, fun and intuitive. Just click on what you want to modify. Customize your cover page quickly and easily. You don't need any design skills. No Photoshop skills. Just choose a template from this article or from the final waterfall and customize it to your liking. Writing first and last names, numbers, additional information or texts will be as easy as writing in a Word document.

Free templates for assignment cover page design

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