APA Title Page Format (7th Edition): Student and Professional Examples

The title page (sometimes called the cover page) is the first page of every APA paper. The 7th edition of the Publication Manual defines two versions: a student title page for coursework and a professional title page for manuscripts submitted for publication. This guide lists the exact elements and order for each, the formatting rules, two full worked examples, and how to build the page in LaTeX, Word, or Google Docs.

Student vs. Professional Title Page

The two versions share the same title, author, and affiliation block but differ in what surrounds it. Use the student version unless your instructor or institution tells you otherwise; use the professional version when submitting to a journal.

Student Title Page Elements, in Order

1. Page number — "1" in the top right corner of the header.
2. Title — bold, centered, in title case, three or four double-spaced lines below the top margin.
3. Author name(s) — one blank double-spaced line below the title. Use first name, middle initial, and last name; omit titles and degrees (no "Dr.", no "PhD").
4. Affiliation — the department and institution, e.g. "Department of Psychology, University of Michigan".
5. Course number and name — exactly as it appears in course materials, e.g. "PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology".
6. Instructor name — in the form the instructor prefers, e.g. "Dr. Maria Lopez".
7. Assignment due date — spelled out, e.g. "October 17, 2026".

Lines 3–7 are centered and double spaced with no extra blank lines between them.

Professional Title Page Elements, in Order

1. Running head — an abbreviated title of no more than 50 characters (including spaces), in all capital letters, flush left in the header of every page. Do not prefix it with the words "Running head:" — that was an APA 6 rule.
2. Page number — flush right in the same header line.
3. Title — bold, centered, title case, three or four lines from the top.
4. Author name(s) — one blank line below the title. Two authors are joined with "and"; three or more are separated by commas with "and" before the last. If authors have different affiliations, add superscript numerals after each name.
5. Affiliation(s) — one line per distinct affiliation, numbered to match the superscripts.
6. Author note — the bold, centered heading "Author Note" in the bottom half of the page, followed by up to four left-aligned, indented paragraphs: (1) ORCID iDs, (2) changes of affiliation, (3) disclosures and acknowledgments (funding, conflicts of interest, registration), (4) contact information for the corresponding author. Omit any paragraph that does not apply.

Formatting Rules That Apply to Both

• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides.
• Spacing: double spaced everywhere, including the title page. Do not add extra space before or after paragraphs.
• Font: one accepted font used consistently throughout the paper. APA 7 lists 12-pt Times New Roman, 11-pt Calibri, 11-pt Arial, 11-pt Georgia, 10-pt Lucida Sans Unicode, and 10-pt Computer Modern (the LaTeX default).
• Title position: centered and bold, three to four double-spaced lines below the top margin. Press Enter three or four times at double spacing, then type the title.
• Title case: capitalise the first word, all major words, and any word of four or more letters. Do not use all caps, italics, underlining, or quotation marks.
• Title length: APA 6 capped titles at 12 words; APA 7 removed the cap but asks for a title that is "focused and succinct". Around 12 words remains a sensible target. A title longer than one line is split across two centered lines.
• Page number: top right corner of every page, starting at 1 on the title page, in the same font as the text.
• Running head: professional papers only. All caps, at most 50 characters, flush left on every page including the title page.
• No labels: never write "Title:", "By", "Author:", or "Date:" before the elements.

Example 1: Student Title Page

Every line below is centered and double spaced. The page number sits in the header on the right; there is no running head.

                                                                   1



              Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Working Memory in Undergraduates

                                   Jordan A. Rivera

                   Department of Psychology, University of Michigan

                             PSY 240: Cognitive Psychology

                                   Dr. Maria Lopez

                                  October 17, 2026

Note the single blank double-spaced line between the title and the author name, and that the remaining lines run together without blank lines.

Example 2: Professional Title Page

The header now carries the running head on the left and the page number on the right. Two authors from different institutions get superscript numerals, and the author note sits in the bottom half of the page.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND WORKING MEMORY                                1



              Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Working Memory in Undergraduates

                        Jordan A. Rivera¹ and Priya S. Natarajan²

                  ¹ Department of Psychology, University of Michigan

                 ² School of Cognitive Science, University of Toronto





                                    Author Note

     Jordan A. Rivera  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-0097

     Priya S. Natarajan  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5109-3700

     Priya S. Natarajan is now at the Department of Psychology, McGill
University.

     This research was supported by Grant 123-456 from the National Science
Foundation. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

     Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jordan A.
Rivera, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church Street,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States. Email: jrivera@umich.edu

APA Title Page in LaTeX with the apa7 Class

The apa7 document class implements the 7th-edition rules, including the title page, so you never place elements by hand. The stu option produces a student title page and man produces a professional (manuscript) one. The class defaults to Computer Modern, which APA accepts; add \usepackage{mathptmx} if your instructor insists on Times New Roman.

Student Version

This is a complete, compilable document. The donotrepeattitle option stops the title from being printed again at the top of the first text page, which many instructors prefer.

\documentclass[stu,12pt,donotrepeattitle]{apa7}
\usepackage[american]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[style=apa,backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\title{Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Working Memory in Undergraduates}
\authorsnames{Jordan A. Rivera}
\authorsaffiliations{{Department of Psychology, University of Michigan}}
\course{PSY 240: Cognitive Psychology}
\professor{Dr. Maria Lopez}
\duedate{October 17, 2026}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

Sleep deprivation is one of the most common stressors reported by
undergraduates, yet its effect on working memory capacity remains
contested \parencite{lim2010}.

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Compile with pdflatex (or run biber between two pdflatex passes once you cite something). If you have no references yet, delete the three biblatex lines and the \printbibliography call.

Professional Version

In manuscript mode you supply the running head with \shorttitle, list authors and affiliations with \authorsnames and \authorsaffiliations, and write the author note with \authornote. The class prints "Author Note" and positions it for you.

\documentclass[man,12pt]{apa7}
\usepackage[american]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[style=apa,backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\title{Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Working Memory in Undergraduates}
\shorttitle{Sleep Deprivation and Working Memory}
\authorsnames[1,2]{Jordan A. Rivera, Priya S. Natarajan}
\authorsaffiliations{
  {Department of Psychology, University of Michigan},
  {School of Cognitive Science, University of Toronto}}
\authornote{
  \addORCIDlink{Jordan A. Rivera}{0000-0002-1825-0097}

  Priya S. Natarajan is now at the Department of Psychology, McGill University.

  This research was supported by Grant 123-456 from the National Science
  Foundation. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

  Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
  Jordan A. Rivera, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan,
  530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
  Email: jrivera@umich.edu}

\abstract{Forty-eight undergraduates completed an n-back task after
either a full night of sleep or 24 hours of wakefulness.}
\keywords{sleep deprivation, working memory, n-back}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

Sleep deprivation is one of the most common stressors reported by
undergraduates \parencite{lim2010}.

\printbibliography
\end{document}

The numbers in \authorsnames[1,2] map each author to an entry in \authorsaffiliations; authors who share an affiliation share a number. \shorttitle is converted to uppercase automatically. If you would rather not install anything, the Octree APA title page template opens the student version ready to edit in your browser.

Building the Title Page in Word or Google Docs

Microsoft Word

1. Layout → Margins → Normal sets 1-inch margins.
2. Select the font and size (e.g. Times New Roman 12), then Home → Line and Paragraph Spacing → 2.0. Open Line Spacing Options and set Before and After to 0 pt.
3. Insert → Page Number → Top of Page → Plain Number 3 places the number top right. For a professional paper, with the header still open, type the running head in capitals at the left and press Tab until the number sits at the right margin. Do not tick "Different First Page" — APA 7 uses the same header on every page.
4. Close the header, press Enter three or four times, click Center and Bold, and type the title.
5. Press Enter twice (one blank line), turn bold off, and type the author, affiliation, course, instructor, and due date on consecutive lines.
6. Insert → Page Break to start page 2.

Google Docs

1. File → Page setup: set all margins to 1 inch.
2. Choose the font, then Format → Line & paragraph spacing → Double and remove space before/after paragraphs under Custom spacing.
3. Insert → Page numbers and pick the option with the number in the top right of every page. For a running head, Insert → Headers & footers → Header, type the uppercase short title, and use a right tab stop or Tab to push the number to the margin.
4. Press Enter three or four times, center and bold the title, add one blank line, then the remaining lines.
5. Insert → Break → Page break.

Common Mistakes

• Adding a running head to a student paper. Student papers have only a page number unless the instructor asks for more.
• Writing "Running head:" before the running head. The label was removed in APA 7; the header shows only the uppercase short title.
• Leaving the title in regular weight. APA 7 made the title bold (it was plain in APA 6).
• Placing the title at the very top of the page. It belongs three or four double-spaced lines down, in the upper half of the page.
• Forgetting the blank line between the title and the author. It is the only extra blank line on the page.
• Including degrees or titles with author names ("Jordan Rivera, BSc"). Names only.
• Adding labels such as "By", "Submitted to", or "Date:", or decorating the page with a logo or border.
• Mixing fonts between the title page and the body, or using a decorative font for the title.
• Single spacing the title page to make it look tidier. It must be double spaced like everything else.
• Putting the page number at the bottom or starting numbering on page 2. The title page is page 1 and the number goes top right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an APA cover page the same as an APA title page?

Yes. "Cover page" is the informal name; the Publication Manual calls it the title page. There is no separate cover sheet in APA style.

Does APA 7 require a running head?

Only for professional papers. Student papers omit it. If your instructor asks for one, format it the professional way: uppercase, at most 50 characters, flush left on every page, without the words "Running head".

Does the title page count as page 1?

Yes. Numbering starts at 1 on the title page and continues through the abstract, body, references, and appendices.

What if the authors have different affiliations?

Use superscript numerals after each author's name and list each affiliation on its own line, preceded by the matching numeral. If every author shares one affiliation, no numerals are needed.

Can I use Arial or Calibri instead of Times New Roman?

Yes. APA 7 accepts 11-pt Arial, 11-pt Calibri, 11-pt Georgia, 10-pt Lucida Sans Unicode, 10-pt Computer Modern, and 12-pt Times New Roman. Use the same font for the whole paper.

Do I need an abstract after the title page?

Professional papers always include an abstract on page 2. Student papers include one only if the assignment asks for it. In apa7, the abstract is printed automatically when you supply \abstract{...}.

Next Steps

With the title page in place, finish the rest of the document:

• Page Size and Margins in LaTeX – Set 1-inch margins and letter paper with the geometry package
• Learn LaTeX – The fundamentals you need to write the body of an APA paper
• LaTeX Tables – APA-style tables with booktabs
• Bold, Italics and Underline – Emphasis rules that match APA headings

Free LaTeX Tools

• APA Title Page Template – A ready-to-edit apa7 student title page
• LaTeX Preview – Compile the examples above with live PDF preview
• AI LaTeX Generator – Describe your paper and get a starting document