The 7th edition of the APA manual provides specific formatting instructions for the title page of your paper. According to APA style, your title page must include the title of the paper, your full name, and your school’s name, alongside some other elements. This article will tackle the correct APA title page format for student papers.
What Is the 7th Edition APA Title Page?
According to the APA 7th edition style guide, a title page should include the paper’s full professional title, your full legal name, and institutional affiliation, which is the name of your institution, such as Standford University or the University of Texas.
Basically, all the same elements of any professional paper are included. If your instructor calls for it, you might also include a running head (a short version of your paper’s title that will be used on all subsequent pages).
How Do You Format the 7th Edition APA Title Page?
Aside from the specifics, there are a few other general guidelines and preferred forms on how to format the 7th edition APA title page:
- Always prioritize the formatting guidelines your instruction gave you.
- The acceptable fonts include 11-point Georgia, 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Arial, and 11-point Calibri.
- The title page needs to be double-spaced.
- Format the page and leave one-inch margins.
Is There a Page Number on the Title Page in APA 7th Edition?
When formatting in the APA 7th edition style, all pages (including the title page and table of contents) should include the page number.
What Does APA 7th Edition Format Look Like?
The APA title page is composed of elements that follow some strict formatting rules.
Title
- The title of this page needs to be succinct and summarize the idea of the paper.
- It should be free of any abbreviations.
- Use keywords that boost the paper in search engines.
- It is important to use title case capitalization when providing the title. This indicates that the first letter of each main word is capitalized.
- Be sure to bold it, put it in the center, and start it three to four lines down from the top edge of the paper.
- Insert a line of blank space with double spacing between the byline and the title.
- Your paper’s title should also be written at the top of your work’s very first page.
Author Name (or Multiple Authors)
- The author’s name should be directly under the title.
- Avoid degrees and titles.
- Multiple author names are to be included in an order based on their degree of contribution.
- Use a single line for all names.
- Center the names.
- Use “and” instead of “&.”
Author Affiliation
- Use a maximum of two affiliations for each author.
- Consider your study/work background when writing the paper.
- Locations include the city, state, province, and country.
Course Name
- Include the number and name of the course under the author affiliation.
Instructor
- Consult with your instructor on their preferred name.
- Write the instructor’s name under the course name.
Due Date
- Under the instructor’s name (or names if you have multiple instructors), add the month, date, and year.
Do You Need a Running Head in APA 7th Edition Title Page?
Running heads are not required according to the APA 7th edition guideline for students.
On the other hand, your professor might decide that you need one. If you are required to have a running head, enter “TITLE OF PAPER” in the header at the top left of the page using all capital letters. The running head on the title page will be the same as on the other pages.
Student vs. Professional APA Title Page Formatting
The table below showcases the elements required on the two types of title pages.
| Title Page Element | Student Version | Professional Version |
| Paper title | ✓ | ✓ |
| Author names | ✓ | ✓ |
| Author affiliation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Author note | X | ✓ |
| Course name and number | ✓ | X |
| Instructor name | ✓ | X |
| Assignment due date | ✓ | X |
| Page number | ✓ | ✓ |
| Running Head | X | ✓ |
Final Words
The title page of a paper written in APA 7th edition style should include:
- The full title of your paper
- The name(s) of the author(s)
- The name of the author’s institution.
If your instructor requires, you should include a running head on your title page.
All pages in an APA 7th edition formatted paper (including the title page) should include a page number. The elements on an APA 7th edition formatted title page are to be double-spaced and have one-inch margins.
APA 7th Edition Title Page Example Template
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