APA Title Page: A Complete Guide for Students and Professionals

The title page is the first thing a reader, instructor, or journal reviewer sees when they open your paper. Getting it right is straightforward once you understand two things: which format applies to your paper (student or professional), and what goes in each field. This guide walks through every element, with examples for both formats, based on APA 7th edition.

Student vs. Professional: Which Format Do You Need?

APA Style 7th edition has two different title page formats. Which one you use depends on why you're writing the paper.

• Student format — use this for class assignments, coursework, and papers submitted to an instructor.
• Professional format — use this for papers submitted to academic journals for publication.

The two formats share some elements but differ in several important ways. The table at the end of this guide shows the differences at a glance.

Elements That Appear on Both Formats

Start here. These four elements are required on every title page regardless of which format you're using.

1. Page Number

Place the number 1 in the upper right corner of the title page. Every page in your paper is numbered, starting here.

2. Paper Title

The title goes in the upper half of the page (not vertically centered). Follow these rules:

• Center it horizontally.
• Bold it.
• Double space it.
• Use title case: capitalize the first letter of each major word.
• Keep it concise — one to two lines is ideal.
• Leave out abbreviations and filler words.

3. Author Name

Write your full name directly below the title. Follow these rules:

• Use first name, middle initial, and last name.
• Do not include titles or degrees — no PhD, MD, Dr., or Prof.
• For multiple authors, list them in order of contribution.
• If all authors contributed equally, list them alphabetically by last name.
• If only some contributed equally, use an asterisk and add a note below the author list explaining this.
• For two authors, separate names with "and." For three or more, use commas and "and" before the last name.

4. Institutional Affiliation

Write the department and institution where the research was conducted, directly below the author name.

• If all authors share the same affiliation, list it once.
• If authors have different affiliations, use superscript numbers on the author line to connect each author to their institution.

Student Format: Additional Elements

If you're submitting a class assignment, add these three elements below the institutional affiliation. All are centered and double spaced.

• Course name and number — for example: PSY 301: Research Methods in Psychology
• Instructor name — use the name your instructor prefers, including any title they use.
• Due date — write the date the assignment is due, not the date you submitted it.

Student papers do not include a running head or an author note. These were required in APA 6th edition but are no longer required for student work in the 7th edition.

Professional Format: Additional Elements

If you're submitting a paper to a journal, add these two elements that student papers don't include.

Running Head

A running head is a short version of your paper title that appears in the header of every page.

• Place it flush left in the header of the title page.
• Write it in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
• Keep it to 50 characters or fewer, including spaces and punctuation.
• The page number sits in the upper right corner of the same header line.

For example, a paper titled "The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Academic Performance in Undergraduate Students" would have a running head of: SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Author Note

The author note appears in the lower half of the title page, below the institutional affiliations. It is left-aligned (not centered). Include the following, each in a separate paragraph in this order:

• ORCID iD — each author's name followed by their ORCID URL (https://orcid.org/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx).
• Affiliation changes — note if any author's affiliation changed between when the research was conducted and when the paper was submitted.
• Disclosures — any conflicts of interest, grant funding, financial support, study registrations, or data sharing statements.
• Acknowledgements — brief thanks to anyone who contributed but is not listed as an author.
• Contact information — the corresponding author's full mailing address and email.

The label "Author Note" is centered and bold. Each paragraph within the note is left-aligned and indented on the first line. See the APA's author note guidelines for full details.

APA Title Page: Student vs. Professional Side-by-Side Comparison

Use this table to quickly check which elements your format requires:

Six Common Mistakes

These are the errors that come up most often for APA title pages, in student and professional papers alike.

1. Adding your degree after your name. Leave it out entirely. No PhD, MD, MS, Dr., or Prof. — in either format.
2. Vertically centering everything on the page. The title goes in the upper half of the page, not the middle. Starting your content too far down the page is one of the most common layout errors.
3. Using single spacing. Every element — title, name, affiliation, course details, author note — should be double spaced.
4. Forgetting the running head on a professional paper. It's required for journal submissions and belongs in the header flush left, in all capitals, 50 characters or fewer.
5. Including course and instructor details on a professional paper. These belong only on student papers. Remove them from anything you're submitting to a journal.
6. Applying APA 6th edition rules. Two key things changed in the 7th edition: student papers no longer need a running head, and sources with three or more authors use the abbreviated "et al." form from the very first in-text citation rather than listing all authors on first mention.

Can You Include an Image on the APA Title Page?

APA doesn't provide guidelines for including images on title pages, and it's generally considered unprofessional to do so. The title page exists to provide information, not decoration. If you do include an image — for example, if your institution requires a logo — add a note directly beneath it explaining its source. Don't label it as a figure.

Helpful Resources

For student papers, Purdue OWL is one of the most comprehensive free references available for APA style. For professional papers, check the specific journal you're submitting to first — many journals have formatting requirements that differ slightly from the standard APA guidelines. The APA also provides official annotated sample papers in professional format that are useful when preparing a journal submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

What goes on a student title page?

Seven elements, in this order: page number (upper right), bold centered title, author name without degrees, institutional affiliation, course name and number, instructor name, and assignment due date. All text is centered and double spaced.

What goes on a professional title page?

Six elements: running head (upper left header), page number (upper right header), bold centered title, author name without degrees, institutional affiliation, and a complete author note. The author note includes ORCID iDs, any affiliation changes, conflict of interest disclosures, funding acknowledgements, and the corresponding author's contact information.

Do student papers need a running head?

No. APA 7th edition removed this requirement for student papers. A running head is only required for professional papers submitted for publication. This is one of the most significant changes from the 6th edition, which required it on all papers.

Can I write "Dr." or "PhD" after my name?

No. APA requires names without academic titles or credentials on the title page — in both student and professional formats. Use first name, middle initial, and last name only.

Where exactly does the title go on the page?

In the upper half of the page, centered horizontally. It should not be in the vertical center of the page. Bold it, double space it, and keep it to one or two lines. Use title case and avoid abbreviations.

What is an author note and do I need one?

An author note is a block of information that appears in the lower half of a professional paper title page. It includes ORCID iDs, affiliation changes, conflict of interest disclosures, funding acknowledgements, and the corresponding author's contact details. It's required for professional papers submitted to journals. Student papers don't include one.

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