How To Make An APA Style Cover Page | Clean Title Page

When your instructor asks for APA format, the cover page is the first thing they see. A clean title page shows you followed directions and sets up the rest of the paper to feel clear and professional.

What An APA Style Cover Page Includes

APA format uses the term title page, but many students call it the cover page. Both labels describe the same first page of the paper. The seventh edition of APA style has slightly different title page layouts for student papers and for professional papers that go to journals.

Every version uses standard page settings. Use 1 inch margins on all sides, double spacing everywhere, and a readable font such as 12 point Times New Roman or 11 point Calibri. The page number sits in the top right corner of the header on the first line of the page.

The table below compares the core parts of a student title page and a professional title page so you can see the differences at a glance.

Element	Student APA Title Page	Professional APA Title Page
Page number	Page number 1 in top right header	Page number 1 in top right header
Running head	Not required unless your instructor asks for it	Shortened paper title in all caps at left, with page number on right
Paper title	Bold, centered, title case, in upper half of the page	Bold, centered, title case, in upper half of the page
Author name	Full name of the student author or authors	Full name of each author, listed in contribution order
Affiliation	Department and university name	Institutional affiliation for each author
Course information	Course number and course name	Not included on professional title pages
Instructor	Instructor name or names	Not included on professional title pages
Due date	Assignment due date written as Month Day, Year	Not included on professional title pages
Author note	Not usually included on student papers	Author note with contact details or disclosures when needed

If your course uses the student version, you will include every item in the middle column of that table. A professional paper that goes to a journal or conference usually follows the pattern in the right column instead.

How To Make An APA Style Cover Page: Step-By-Step Layout

This section walks through how to make an apa style cover page for a student paper from a blank document. The directions assume you are working in a standard word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but the layout works in any tool that lets you control margins, spacing, and headers.

Step 1: Set Up Basic Page Formatting

First, set the page size to standard letter paper at eight and a half by eleven inches. Then set all four margins to 1 inch. Choose a font that APA accepts, such as 12 point Times New Roman, 11 point Calibri, or 11 point Arial. Turn on double spacing for the entire document, not just for the title page.

Turn off any extra space before or after paragraphs so your spacing stays consistent. In most word processors, you can do this in the paragraph settings by setting both before and after spacing to 0 and line spacing to double.

Step 2: Add The Page Number In The Header

Open the header area at the top of the page. In the upper right corner, insert the page number so that the title page reads 1. Use the same font and size you picked for the rest of the paper. Close the header so you return to the body of the page. Student papers do not need a running head in APA seventh edition unless an instructor sets a local rule.

Step 3: Position The Title Block

Place your cursor on the first line of the page body, below the header. The title block belongs in the upper half of the page. A simple way to hit the right area is to press Enter several times until your cursor moves down about one third of the page, then adjust later if needed.

Turn on center alignment. Type the full title of your paper in title case. Bold the title text. If the title runs onto a second line, keep the lines double spaced and keep the text centered.

Step 4: Add Your Name And Affiliation

Press Enter once after the title so you keep double spacing. On the next line, still centered, type your first name, middle initial if you use one, and last name. Do not include degrees or titles such as Dr. or PhD.

Press Enter again and type your department and institution on the next centered line. A common pattern is something like School of Nursing, Trent University. Use the wording your school prefers for departments and campuses.

Step 5: Add Course, Instructor, And Due Date

On the line after the affiliation, type the course number and course name. Follow the style your campus uses for course codes, such as PSYC 101: Introduction to Learning. Keep the text centered and double spaced.

On the next line, add your instructor name. On the final line of the title page, type the assignment due date in Month Day, Year format, such as October 3, 2025. Check your syllabus in case your course prefers a different date format for APA work.

Making An APA Style Cover Page For Students

Most undergraduates and many graduate students only need the student title page layout. The steps above give you the basic structure. This section adds small details that help your page match the examples in official APA material.

According to the APA Style title page setup, the whole title block should sit in the upper half of the page, with equal margins on each side. You do not need extra spacing before or after the block; regular double spacing does the work.

Title Length And Wording

A strong APA paper title stays focused on the main topic or variables in the paper. Avoid clichés and vague statements. Try to express the topic and scope in one clear phrase of one or two lines instead of a long sentence that runs across the page.

Read your title aloud. If you run out of breath or trip over the wording, tighten it. Cut filler phrases such as a study of or an examination of and let the main terms carry the meaning.

Handling Multiple Authors On A Student Title Page

Many assignments use group work. When several students write a paper together, list all authors on the title page. Keep the names in the order you agree on as a group, using full first names and initials only for middle names.

Separate two names with the word and. For three or more names, use commas between names and place and before the final author. All names stay on one centered line unless space forces a wrap, in which case the wrap keeps the same double spacing as the rest of the page.

Course And Instructor Details

Follow the course code style your institution uses. Many campuses use a department code, course number, and a short title after a colon. This clear pattern helps teaching staff match your paper with the right section and assignment during marking.

For the instructor line, use the title and last name your instructor prefers, such as Dr. Patel or Professor Garcia. Check your syllabus or learning platform if you are unsure which title to use.

Creating An APA Style Cover Page For Professional Papers

If you write a paper for publication, a thesis, or a capstone project, you may need the professional version of the APA cover page. This version keeps the same overall look but adds a running head and an author note in some cases.

Running Head For Professional Papers

Open the header area on the first page. Type the running head in all capital letters at the left margin. This short version of your title should use fewer than fifty characters, including spaces. Insert the page number at the right margin on the same line.

Check that the header on later pages keeps the same running head and page number pattern. Most word processors can link the header so the layout repeats automatically.

Author Note Placement

Some journals and graduate programs request an author note on the title page. The label Author note sits centered and bold near the bottom of the page. The paragraphs that follow sit left aligned and give details such as contact information and any funding or conflict statements.

Follow the order given in your APA manual or in the instructions for the journal. Keep the note clear and factual so readers and editors can see how to reach you and how the work was funded and managed.

Common APA Cover Page Mistakes And Quick Fixes

Even careful writers slip on small layout rules when they hurry through the title page. This table lists frequent errors students make with an APA style cover page and shows how to adjust them.

Problem	Better Choice	Why It Causes Trouble
Single spacing on the title page	Use double spacing for every line	Markers expect the same spacing as the rest of the paper
Title not in bold	Apply bold style to the full title	APA seventh edition calls for a bold paper title
Title page text left aligned	Center all lines in the title block	Centered text keeps the page balanced and readable
Missing course or instructor line	Add course code, course name, and instructor line	Missing details can slow grading or confuse staff
Date written in numeric format only	Write Month Day, Year, such as March 15, 2026	Matches the style given in APA examples
Font changes between title page and body	Pick one approved font and stick with it throughout	Mixed fonts distract readers and look messy
Running head on a student paper without a request	Use only the page number unless your instructor asks for a running head	Extra elements can conflict with local course rules

Even a short pause with this list beside your draft can catch spacing, font, or header issues before you upload the file.

Practical Tips For A Clean APA Cover Page

Once you have created one title page that matches APA expectations, treat it as a template. Save a copy of the file with a name you can find easily, then duplicate it for new assignments so you do not repeat the setup work each time.

When you reuse a template, update every line on the cover page: the title, your name, your affiliation, the course, the instructor, and the due date. Many grading errors come from reusing an old date or course code on a new assignment.

If your instructor uploads a sample APA student paper, compare it with your own page. Check margins, font, spacing, and the order of each line. A side by side check catches small spacing differences that are hard to spot by memory alone.

Learning how to make an apa style cover page is a one time investment that pays off across classes. Once the layout feels familiar, you can focus your effort on the content of your research instead of fighting with the title page format every term.