APA Title Page for a Dissertation or Paper (APA 7) | Help Me Bro
The title page is the first thing a reader sees, and it is the one page where a small slip shows at a glance. The good news is that APA Style says exactly what goes on it, and the list is short. This guide walks through the APA 7 title page for a course paper, a dissertation or a manuscript, what changes between the student and professional versions, and the cases where your school’s own rules win.
Everything here follows APA Style’s own title page guidance. When a detail matters for a submission, check that page and your school’s instructions as well as this one.
What an APA 7 title page contains
APA 7 describes two versions. Which one you use depends on who will read the paper and why you are writing it.
The student title page
This is the version for coursework and, in most cases, the base for theses and dissertations. It carries these elements, each on its own line:
- Paper title: bold, centered, in title case, placed in the upper half of the page, three to four double-spaced lines down from the top margin.
- Author name: your name as you write it, with no titles or degrees, after one blank double-spaced line.
- Affiliation: the department and the university.
- Course number and name: written as the course is listed at your school.
- Instructor name: written the way your instructor prefers it.
- Assignment due date: in the date style used where you study.
- Page number: in the header at the top right, starting with 1 on this page.
The professional title page
This is the version for a paper that goes to a journal, a conference or another outside reader. It drops the course, instructor and due date and adds a few things in their place:
- Paper title, placed and formatted the same way as in the student version.
- Author names and, for each author, an affiliation: the place where the work was done.
- Running head: a shortened version of the title in capital letters, in the page header.
- Author note: a block lower on the page for contact details, disclosures and any other notes the author needs to give.
- Page number at the top right.
The elements at a glance
| Element | Student title page | Professional title page |
|---|---|---|
| Paper title | Bold, centered, title case | Bold, centered, title case |
| Author name | Yes | Yes, one line per author or grouped by affiliation |
| Affiliation | Department and university | Where the work was done |
| Course number and name | Yes | No |
| Instructor name | Yes | No |
| Assignment due date | Yes | No |
| Running head | Not unless your instructor or school asks | Yes, unless the publisher says otherwise |
| Author note | No | Yes, in the lower part of the page |
| Page number | Top right of the header | Top right of the header |
In short, APA formatting for a title page comes down to one question: is this a student paper or a professional one? Answer that first, and the rest of the table follows.
How to build the title page in Word, step by step
Set the document up before you type anything. It is far easier than fixing spacing afterward.
- Set the basics. Use 1-inch margins on every side (Layout, then Margins). Pick one of the fonts APA accepts and use it for the whole file, title page included; APA’s paper format page lists the options. Then go to Home, open the Paragraph settings, choose double spacing and set the space before and after to 0 pt.
- Add the page number. Choose Insert, then Page Number, then Top of Page, then Plain Number 3. The number lands at the top right. Keep the header in the same font as the rest of the paper.
- Add a running head if you need one. For a professional paper, double-click the header, type the shortened title in capitals at the left margin and place the page number at the right margin using the header’s tab stop. Skip this for a student paper unless your instructor asks for it.
- Drop down to the title. Press Enter three or four times from the top of the page so the title sits in the upper half. Center the line, turn on bold and type the title in title case.
- Leave one blank line, then type the author. Center the name and turn bold off. Everything below the title is plain text.
- Add the remaining lines. For a student paper, type the affiliation, course, instructor and due date, each on its own centered line. For a professional paper, type the affiliation, then move lower on the page for the author note with its own bold, centered heading.
- End the page. Press Ctrl+Enter (Insert, then Page Break) so the body starts on a fresh page. Use a page break rather than a row of Enter presses; the break holds when the text above it changes.
- Repeat the title on the first page of text. At the top of that page, type the title again, centered and in bold, then begin the paper.
Student or professional: which one do you use?
Use the student version for anything that goes to an instructor or a committee: essays, reports, capstones, and normally theses and dissertations. Use the professional version when the paper is headed to a journal or a conference and is not a class assignment. The deciding question is who the reader is, not how long the paper is.
Dissertations are the case people ask about most. A dissertation title page is usually built from the student version, but the graduate school almost always has its own required wording and order. For the rest of the document, see my guide to APA 7 dissertation format.
When a university template overrides APA
APA Style is a default, not a law. Many universities publish a dissertation or thesis template with a required title page: a set order of lines, a committee block, a degree statement, a specific month and year line, or a signature page that comes after it. When the template and APA disagree, the template wins, because the graduate school is the body that accepts your document.
Before you format anything, get the current template or manual from your graduate school and read the title page section first. If the school’s rules are silent on a point, fall back on APA. If your instructor gives a different instruction for a course paper, follow the instructor.
My formatting pages collect what I have written about school-specific requirements, including dissertation format pages for Baylor, CSU, FSU, MSU and UNC. Treat them as a starting point and confirm against the school’s own current document.
A text-only layout example
Here is a student title page, top to bottom, using generic sample values. Replace each one with your own details.
| Position on the page | What appears |
|---|---|
| Header, top right | 1 |
| Three to four double-spaced lines down, centered, bold | Title of the Paper |
| One blank double-spaced line, then centered | Student Name |
| Next line, centered | Department Name, University Name |
| Next line, centered | Course Number: Course Name |
| Next line, centered | Instructor Name |
| Next line, centered | Assignment Due Date |
A professional page follows the same top half, then swaps the course, instructor and due date lines for the affiliation, a running head in the header, and an author note lower down.
Common mistakes on the title page
- Bolding more than the title. Only the title is bold. Name, affiliation and the other lines are plain.
- Using all capitals or underlining the title. Use title case and leave the underline off.
- Adding degrees or titles to the author name. Write the name only.
- Stacking extra blank lines. One blank double-spaced line sits between the title and the author. Single-spaced gaps or large empty stretches come from a different style guide.
- Mixing fonts. The title page, header and body should all use one font and size.
- Choosing the wrong version. A course paper with a running head and author note, or a journal manuscript with a course line, is the most common mismatch.
- Adding decoration. Borders, logos, clip art and colored text do not belong on an APA title page.
- Forgetting the page number or the repeated title. Check the header on page 1, and check that the title opens the first page of text.
- Ignoring a stricter instruction. If the instructor, publisher or graduate school gives a different rule, that rule applies.
Does a dissertation need an APA title page?
Only if your graduate school tells you to use APA for the front matter, and even then the school’s own order and wording usually decide. Many universities publish a required title page layout, and that layout replaces the APA student version. Read your graduate school’s current manual first, and use APA only for the points it leaves open.
Is a running head required on a student title page?
Not by default. APA 7 expects a running head on professional papers, while student papers leave it out unless the instructor or institution asks for one. If your assignment sheet or syllabus mentions a running head, add it. If it says nothing, the page number alone at the top right is enough.
Should the title page be double-spaced?
Yes. APA applies double spacing to the whole paper, title page included, with no extra space added before or after paragraphs. In Word, set the spacing once for the entire document before you type the title page, so the lines below the title keep the same rhythm as the body text.
What date goes on a student title page?
The assignment due date, written in the date style used where you study. In the United States that is month, day and year. If your instructor wants a submission date or a different format, follow the instructor. Do not use the date you started writing or the date you printed the file.
Will Ahsan build or fix my title page for me?
No. I review a draft you wrote and leave comments and tracked changes in your Word file. Tracked changes stay mechanical, such as punctuation or citation format, and anything about arrangement is a comment you can accept, adapt or ignore. You make the changes yourself and remain the author of the document.
Where Help Me Bro fits
I check title pages and the formatting around them on a draft you wrote. The feedback arrives as comments and tracked changes in your own Word file. Tracked changes are mechanical only, such as a punctuation fix or a citation format correction. Anything that touches your content or how it is arranged is a comment or a question. I do not retype or build the page for you; you apply the changes and the document stays yours.
Editing runs from $10 per 1,000 words on a 72-hour turnaround, $15 on 48 hours and $25 on 24 hours. For a quote, send the word count, deadline and file through the quote form. If APA is the main concern, see APA editing. More formatting walkthroughs are collected in the academic editing guides.