APA Title Page: Student and Professional Formats

An APA title page in 7th edition style lists your paper's title, your name and your university, plus course details for students or an author note for professional papers. It sits on page 1, double-spaced and centered.

APA 7th offers two versions: a student title page for coursework and a professional title page for manuscripts submitted for publication. This guide shows both, line by line, with examples you can follow.

Student or Professional: Which Do You Need?

Use the student title page unless your instructor or a journal tells you otherwise. The professional version is designed for manuscripts sent to journals and includes elements that coursework does not need, such as the running head and author note.

Some programs, including many nursing and graduate courses, have their own title page requirements. Where your instructor's guidance differs from APA, follow your instructor.

The Student Title Page, Line by Line

Page Number

Put the page number in the header, aligned right, starting at 1 on the title page. Use your word processor's automatic page numbering so it continues through the paper.

Title

Place the title three or four lines down from the top margin, centered and in bold. Use title case: capitalize major words and any word of four letters or more. Make it focused and descriptive, and avoid abbreviations and filler such as "A Study of".

Author, Affiliation and Course Details

After one blank double-spaced line, add your name, without titles or degrees. Then give your affiliation as the department and university, such as "School of Nursing, Riverside University". On the following lines, add the course number and name, your instructor's name and the due date, written in the format common in your country.

Spacing and Font

Double-space the whole page and use the same font as the rest of your paper. APA 7th accepts several fonts, including 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12-point Times New Roman and 11-point Georgia. Keep 1-inch margins on all sides.

Student Title Page Example

The instructor's title, such as "Dr." or "Professor", may be included if that is how they prefer to be addressed. The author's own name appears without titles or degrees.

The Professional Title Page

A professional title page contains the title, author names and affiliations, plus a running head and an author note. It is used for manuscripts submitted to journals and sometimes for theses or graduate work.

Running Head

The running head is a shortened version of the title in all capital letters, placed flush left in the header on every page, with the page number on the right. It should be no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation. In APA 7th, the label "Running head:" is no longer used.

Byline and Affiliations

List authors in order of contribution, without degrees. If authors have different affiliations, use superscript numbers after each name and before each matching affiliation.

Author Note

Place the author note in the bottom half of the page, under the bold, centered heading "Author Note". It can include ORCID identifiers, changes of affiliation, disclosures and acknowledgments, and contact details for correspondence, each in its own indented paragraph.

Professional Title Page Example

Writing a Good APA Paper Title

APA recommends a title that summarizes the main idea of the paper clearly and simply. A reader should be able to tell the topic, and often the variables or population, from the title alone.

Avoid abbreviations, question marks used only for effect and phrases such as "An Investigation of". If your title has a subtitle, separate it with a colon and capitalize the first word after the colon.

Setting up the Title Page in a Word Processor

1. Set 1-inch margins and choose an accepted font, such as 12-point Times New Roman.
2. Turn on double spacing for the whole document, with no extra space before or after paragraphs.
3. Insert an automatic page number in the top right of the header.
4. For a professional paper, type the running head in capitals at the left of the header.
5. Press Enter three or four times, then type the title in bold, centered.
6. Press Enter once for a blank line, turn bold off, and type the remaining lines, centered.
7. Insert a page break before starting the abstract or the main text.

Many word processors offer ready-made APA templates, but check them against the current 7th edition rules. Some older templates still add a "Running head:" label or the wrong spacing.

After the Title Page

The title page is followed by an abstract on page 2 if your instructor or the journal requires one. Student papers often skip the abstract unless it is requested, so check your assignment instructions before writing one.

On the first page of the main text, repeat the full paper title at the top, centered and in bold, then begin the introduction. Do not use the heading "Introduction"; the repeated title serves that purpose.

Common Title Page Mistakes

• Adding a "Running head:" label, which APA 7th dropped.
• Including a running head on a student paper when it is not required.
• Forgetting to bold the title, or bolding the other lines.
• Placing the title at the very top or the vertical center of the page instead of a few lines down.
• Listing your own degrees or titles after your name.
• Using single spacing or a different font from the rest of the paper.
• Missing the page number on the title page, which counts as page 1.

How EssayOasis Helps with APA Formatting

Send your paper or prompt, your instructor's formatting notes and whether you need a student or professional title page. A writer formats the title page, headings, citations and reference list to APA 7th, or writes a custom paper in APA from the start.

You receive plagiarism-checked work with consistent formatting throughout, plus free revisions within the scope of your original request.