An APA title page is a centered, double-spaced page that includes your paper title in bold, your name, and your institutional affiliation, with the page number 1 in the top-right corner. The exact elements you need depend on whether you’re writing a student paper or a professional manuscript. Here’s how to set up each version correctly under APA 7th edition guidelines.
Student Title Page Elements
A student title page has six pieces of information, all centered on the page and double-spaced from one another:
- Paper title: Placed three to four lines down from the top of the page. Bold, centered, with major words capitalized (title case).
- Author name(s): Your full name, centered one double-spaced blank line below the title.
- Author affiliation: Your department and school name, separated by a comma. For example: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.
- Course number and name: Listed as it appears on your syllabus, with the course number followed by a colon and the course name. For example: PSY 301: Research Methods.
- Instructor name: Use the format your instructor uses on course materials (Dr., Professor, etc.).
- Assignment due date: Centered on the line below the instructor name.
The page number 1 goes in the top-right corner of the header. Use your word processor’s automatic page-numbering function so subsequent pages number themselves. Student papers do not include a running head unless your instructor specifically asks for one.
Professional Title Page Elements
A professional title page, the kind used for journal submissions and published research, has a different set of requirements. It includes the paper title, author name(s), author affiliation(s), an author note, a running head, and the page number.
The title and author name follow the same formatting rules as the student version: title in bold, centered, three to four lines from the top, with the author name one double-spaced blank line below. The key differences are the running head and the author note.
When a paper has multiple authors from different institutions, use superscript numerals after each author’s name to link them to the correct affiliation. For example, if Author A is at one university and Author B is at another, the superscript numbers connect each name to the matching affiliation line below.
How to Format the Running Head
The running head is a shortened version of your paper title that appears on every page of a professional manuscript. It sits in the page header, aligned to the left margin, with the page number aligned to the right margin on the same line.
A few firm rules apply:
- Type it in all capital letters.
- Keep it to 50 characters or fewer, including spaces and punctuation.
- Do not put the label “Running head:” before it. (This was required in APA 6th edition but was dropped in the 7th.)
- Avoid abbreviations, though you can use an ampersand (&) instead of “and” if it helps you stay under the character limit.
If your paper title is “The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Performance in College Students,” your running head might be SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. That title is already under 50 characters including spaces, so it works.
Spacing, Font, and Margins
The title page follows the same formatting as the rest of your APA paper. Use 1-inch margins on all sides and double-space everything, including the lines between the title, your name, and your affiliation. APA 7th edition accepts several fonts, including 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode. Pick one and use it consistently throughout the entire paper.
Everything on the title page is centered horizontally except the page number (top-right) and, on professional papers, the running head (top-left). Do not add extra blank lines between elements beyond standard double spacing, and do not use a larger font size for the title.
Writing an Effective Paper Title
APA recommends keeping your title concise and specific, ideally no more than 12 words. It should summarize the main idea of your paper without unnecessary filler. Avoid opening with “A Study of…” or “An Analysis of…” because those phrases add length without adding meaning.
Capitalize major words: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and words of four letters or more. Do not capitalize short prepositions (in, of, on), conjunctions (and, but, or), or articles (a, an, the) unless they are the first word of the title. If your title has a subtitle, separate the two with a colon, capitalize the first word after the colon, and keep everything on one or two lines.
Putting It All Together
Here’s what a student title page looks like from top to bottom. In the header area, the page number 1 sits flush right. Then, three to four lines below the top margin, the bold, centered title appears. One double-spaced blank line below the title, your name. On the next double-spaced line, your department and university. Then the course number and name, the instructor’s name, and the due date, each on its own centered, double-spaced line.
For a professional paper, the layout is similar but the header includes the running head flush left in addition to the page number flush right. Below the affiliation information, the author note appears in the bottom half of the page. The course, instructor, and due date lines are replaced by the author note and running head.
Before you submit, double-check that your word processor’s header is set to show the page number (and running head, if needed) on every page, that your entire document uses the same font, and that your title page is numbered as page 1.