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How to make an APA title page

The elements of a student title page, in order and correctly formatted, plus what changes on a professional title page.

In this guide

What goes on a student title page

The title page is the first page of your paper and counts as page 1. A student title page has these elements, in this order:

APA 7 student title page (illustrative example)

What each number shows

  1. Page number: 1, in the top right corner, inserted as an automatic page number.
  2. Paper title: bold and centered, three or four lines down from the top margin.
  3. Author name(s): after one blank line, centered.
  4. Affiliation: the department and the university, separated by a comma.
  5. Course: the course number and name as they appear on course materials.
  6. Instructor: with the title they prefer (Dr., Professor).
  7. Due date: in the format common in your country, with the month spelled out.

Formatting the title page

  • Center everything and double-space it, in the same font and size as the rest of the paper.
  • Only the title is bold. Write it in title case: capitalize major words.
  • Leave one double-spaced blank line between the title and the author name.
  • The page number sits in the top right corner and is automatic: don’t type it.
  • Student papers don’t need a running head unless your instructor asks for one.
The lines of the example title page · fictitious example

Sleep Habits and Academic Performance in First-Year Students

Laura Mendez

Department of Psychology, Central Valley University

PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology

Dr. Ana Torres

May 15, 2026

Professional title pages

A professional title page, for a manuscript submitted to a journal, has no course, instructor or due date. Instead it includes an author note at the bottom (with details such as ORCID iDs, changes of affiliation or conflicts of interest) and a running head in the header of every page.

When your school has its own title page

Your school may ask for something else

Some schools want a logo, the program name, a word count or a different order, especially for theses. APA says your instructor’s or institution’s guidelines take precedence: if you’re given a template, use it.

Setting it up in Word

  1. Insert the page number. Go to Insert › Page Number › Top of Page and choose the right-aligned number.
  2. Move the title down. Press Enter three or four times (with double spacing) before you type the title.
  3. Center and type. Center the paragraphs, type the title in bold, leave one blank line and add the other elements, one per line.
  4. Start the text on a new page. Use Insert › Page Break after the date instead of pressing Enter until you reach the next page.

Sources

  1. Title page setupAmerican Psychological Association
  2. Student Title Page Guide (PDF)American Psychological Association
  3. Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF)American Psychological Association
  4. Running head or no running head? For student papers, APA Style says bye, bye, byeAmerican Psychological Association
  5. Who needs an author note? You … maybeAmerican Psychological Association
  6. Add page numbers to a header or footer in WordMicrosoft Support

We consulted these pages on October 31, 2026.

Editorial note

This guide was prepared by APAFly with the help of artificial intelligence and checked against the sources listed above. It is for educational purposes and does not replace the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual or your institution’s own requirements.

The examples are illustrative: the authors, works and websites are fictitious.

APAFly is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the American Psychological Association.

Spotted a mistake? Write to contacto@apafly.app

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