Title Pages (2.3)

The title page is the first page of an essay or assignment, and it appears on its own page. APA Style provides specific instructions for formatting a title page, including the information that must be included.

Formatting a Student Title Page

Each piece of information on the title page appears on its own line, and the lines are double-spaced (2.21). There is one extra space between the title and the student’s name. No other information appears on the title page, unless specified by the instructor. One inch (2.54 cm) margins are used on all sides (2.22); this is the default for most word-processing programs. The following elements are included on all student title pages, unless specified by the instructor (2.3):

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The Title of the Essay (2.4)

The title summarizes the main idea of the essay or assignment in a clear way, and it should be engaging or interesting to the reader. The title is in title case, meaning that major words are capitalized (6.17). The title appears in bold font, centered, and placed on the upper half of the title page, three to four lines down from the top margin. The title also appears at the top of the first page of the text or body of the essay (2.11).

The Name(s) of the Author(s) (2.5)

If the essay or assignment has one author, write the author’s name in standard font and centre it. Standard font is non-bold, non-italic font. If there is more than one author, authors are listed in order according to their contributions (2.5). All names are written on the same line, and can carry over to the next line if necessary. If there are two authors, their names are separated by “and”. If there are three or more authors, names are separated by commas, with “and” before the final author’s name.

The Affiliation of the Author(s) (2.6)

The affiliation tells the reader where the author(s) work or study, or where the research has been conducted. For student essays and assignments, this includes the name of the department and the institution, separated by a comma. The affiliation appears on a new line after the name(s) of the author(s). It’s centered and appears in standard, non-bold, non-italic font. You can find more information about fonts later in this chapter.

Course Name and Code (2.3)

This is the course name and number for which the essay or assignment is being submitted. It should follow the format shown on the course outline or syllabus. The course name and code appears on a new line after the affiliation of the author(s). It’s centered and appears in standard, non-bold, non-italic font.

Instructor’s Name(s) (2.3)

Students should check with the instructor to make sure that they use the instructor’s preferred way of addressing them, e.g.: Dr. Jane Doe, Professor John Doe, Jane Smith, PhD, etc. The instructor’s name appears on a new line after the course name and number. It’s centered and appears in standard, non-bold, non-italic font.

Due Date (2.3)

The due date of the essay or assignment appears in the standard format required by the institution, or the standard used in the country of study, e.g.: January 31 , 2019, or 31 January, 2019. Students should check with their instructor to ensure that they are using the correct format. The date is centered and appears in standard, non-bold, non-italic font.

Page Number (2.18)

All essays or assignments require page numbers, located in the upper right corner, starting with the title page. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the Publication Manual) recommends using the automatic page numbering function that’s available in most word processing programs. The Publication Manual recommends against typing the page numbers in manually.
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Sources

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style. (7th ed.).