APA Title Page Format (7th Edition) — Student & Professional Examples

Everything you need to format your APA title page correctly: visual examples, step-by-step instructions for Word and Google Docs, and a checklist to catch mistakes before you submit.

Reading time: 8 minutes
Last updated: February 2026
APA 7th Edition

Table of Contents

  1. Quick Summary
  2. Student Title Page Format
  3. Professional Title Page Format
  4. Student vs. Professional — Side-by-Side
  5. Step-by-Step: Microsoft Word
  6. Step-by-Step: Google Docs
  7. Common Mistakes
  8. What Changed from APA 6 to APA 7
  9. Title Page Checklist
  10. FAQ

Quick Summary

  • Student paper: Title (bold, centered), your name, university, course, instructor, due date — no running head.
  • Professional paper: Title (bold, centered), author name(s), affiliation(s), author note, and a running head in the header.
  • Both formats: Double-spaced, 1-inch margins, page number 1 top-right, APA-approved font.
  • APA 7 change: Student papers no longer need a running head. The title is now bold (wasn't in APA 6).

Need to check your citations? Try our free APA citation checker — paste your references and get instant feedback.

Student Title Page Format

If you are writing a paper for a class, this is the format you need. APA 7th edition simplified the student title page — no running head, no author note.

Required Elements (in order)

  1. Page number — top-right corner, in the header
  2. Paper title — bold, centered, title case, positioned 3–4 lines down from the top margin
  3. Author name — centered, not bold (first name, middle initial, last name)
  4. University or institution — centered, not bold
  5. Course number and name — e.g., "PSY 301: Research Methods"
  6. Instructor name — e.g., "Dr. Sarah Johnson"
  7. Due date — e.g., "February 16, 2026"

All lines are centered and double-spaced. The title block starts about one-third of the way down the page.

1
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on
Academic Performance in College Students
Emily R. Chen
University of California, Los Angeles
PSY 301: Research Methods in Psychology
Dr. Sarah Johnson
February 16, 2026

Example of a correctly formatted student title page

Professional Title Page Format

Use this format when submitting a manuscript for publication in a journal. It includes a running head and an author note but omits course information.

Required Elements (in order)

  1. Running head — shortened title in ALL CAPS, flush left in the header (max 50 characters)
  2. Page number — flush right in the header, same line as running head
  3. Paper title — bold, centered, title case
  4. Author name(s) — centered, not bold
  5. Affiliation(s) — department and university, centered
  6. Author note — centered heading (bold), then left-aligned paragraphs with first-line indent
SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
1
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on
Academic Performance in College Students
Emily R. Chen
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
Author Note

Emily R. Chen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-2345-6789

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Emily R. Chen, Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Email: [email protected]

Example of a correctly formatted professional title page

Author Note Structure (4 paragraphs)

  1. ORCID iD — author name linked to ORCID profile
  2. Changes of affiliation — note if you moved institutions
  3. Disclosures and acknowledgments — funding sources, conflicts of interest
  4. Contact information — mailing address and email for correspondence

Student vs. Professional — Side-by-Side Comparison

Element Student Paper Professional Paper
Running head Not required Required (ALL CAPS, max 50 chars)
Page number Top-right Top-right (same line as running head)
Paper title Bold, centered, title case Bold, centered, title case
Author name Full name, centered Full name, centered
Affiliation University name Department and university
Course info Course number and name Not included
Instructor Instructor's name Not included
Due date Assignment due date Not included
Author note Not required Required (ORCID, disclosures, contact)

Step-by-Step: Format an APA Title Page in Microsoft Word

Step 1: Page setup. Go to Layout → Margins → Normal (1 inch all sides). Set font to 12-pt Times New Roman. Under Paragraph settings, set line spacing to Double and spacing before/after to 0.
Step 2: Page number. Go to Insert → Header → Blank. Type the page number flush right. In the Header & Footer tab, the page number should already show "1." For professional papers, also type the running head flush left on the same line.
Step 3: Paper title. Click in the body of the page. Press Enter 3–4 times to position your cursor about one-third down. Center the text (Ctrl+E), make it bold (Ctrl+B), and type your title in title case.
Step 4: Author info. Press Enter once (double-spacing handles the gap). Turn off bold (Ctrl+B). Type your name, press Enter. Type your university, press Enter. Continue with course, instructor, and due date — each on its own line.
Step 5: Verify. Check that everything is centered, double-spaced, and that only the title is bold. The page number should appear in the top-right corner.

Step-by-Step: Format an APA Title Page in Google Docs

Step 1: Page setup. Go to File → Page setup. Set margins to 1 inch on all sides. Set font to 12-pt Times New Roman from the toolbar.
Step 2: Line spacing. Go to Format → Line & paragraph spacing → Double. Make sure "Add space before/after paragraph" is unchecked.
Step 3: Page number. Go to Insert → Headers & footers → Header. Click "Options" → "Page numbers" and select top-right. The number "1" should appear.
Step 4: Paper title. Click below the header. Press Enter 3–4 times. Center-align the text, make it bold, and type your title in title case.
Step 5: Author info. Press Enter, turn off bold, and type each line: your name, university, course, instructor, due date — all centered.

Common APA Title Page Mistakes

1. Adding a running head on a student paper

Wrong:
Running head: SLEEP DEPRIVATION...     1
(student papers don't need this in APA 7)
Correct:
                                                   1
(page number only)

2. Forgetting to bold the title

Wrong:
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance
(title not bold)
Correct:
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance
(title is bold)

3. Using "Running head:" label (APA 6 format)

Wrong:
Running head: SLEEP DEPRIVATION
(APA 6 format — the "Running head:" label was removed in APA 7)
Correct:
SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
(just the shortened title, no label)

4. Wrong title case

Wrong:
The effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance
(sentence case — this is for reference list entries, not title pages)
Correct:
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance
(title case — capitalize major words)

5. Single spacing or extra spacing

The entire title page must be double-spaced — no extra blank lines between elements, no single-spacing anywhere. Set your word processor to exactly double (2.0) line spacing with 0pt before and after paragraphs.

6. Title too long

APA recommends keeping your title under 12 words. Avoid filler phrases like "A Study of" or "An Investigation Into." Be specific and descriptive.

What Changed from APA 6 to APA 7

If you learned the APA 6 format, here are the differences that affect the title page:

Feature APA 6th Edition APA 7th Edition
Running head (student) Required Not required
Running head label "Running head: TITLE" Just "TITLE" (no label)
Title bold Not bold Bold
Course/instructor/date Not specified Required for student papers
Font options Times New Roman 12pt only Multiple fonts accepted

APA Title Page Checklist

Use this checklist before submitting your paper:

Once your title page is formatted, don't forget to check your citations for formatting errors before submitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What goes on an APA title page?
A student APA title page includes the paper title (bold, centered), author name, university affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, and due date. A professional title page includes the paper title, author name(s), affiliation(s), author note, and a running head. Both formats use page number 1 in the top-right corner.
Do student papers need a running head in APA 7?
No. APA 7th edition removed the running head requirement for student papers. Only professional manuscripts submitted for publication need a running head. Check with your instructor — some still require it.
What is the difference between an APA student title page and a professional title page?
A student title page includes course number, instructor name, and due date below the affiliation. A professional title page omits those and instead includes an author note and a running head in the page header. The paper title, author name, and affiliation appear on both.
Should the APA title page be bold?
Yes — in APA 7, the paper title on the title page should be bold. This is a change from APA 6, where the title was not bold. Only the title is bold; the author name, affiliation, and other lines are not.
What font and spacing does an APA title page use?
APA 7 accepts 12-pt Times New Roman, 11-pt Arial, 11-pt Calibri, or 11-pt Georgia. The entire title page must be double-spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. The page number appears in the header, top-right.
Where does the title go on an APA title page?
The paper title should be centered and positioned 3–4 lines down from the top margin (about one-third of the way down the page). It should be bold and in title case. If the title is long, it can span two lines — both lines centered.
How do I format multiple authors on an APA title page?
List two authors on the same line separated by "and." For three or more, separate with commas and "and" before the last name. If authors have different affiliations, use superscript numbers and list each affiliation on a separate line below.
What changed about the title page from APA 6 to APA 7?
Three major changes: (1) student papers no longer need a running head, (2) the "Running head:" label was removed from professional papers, and (3) student papers now include course number, instructor, and due date. The paper title is now bold on the title page.

Check Your Citations Before You Submit

Your title page is set — now make sure your references are formatted correctly too. Paste a citation below to check it instantly.

Related Guides

Last Updated: February 2026

This guide was created to help students and researchers format their APA title pages correctly. For help with your citations and reference list, try our free citation checker.