APA 7 Title Page: Student vs Professional — What's the Difference?

One of the biggest changes in APA 7 format was creating two distinct APA 7 title page formats: one for the APA 7 student paper format and one for professional manuscripts. APA 6 had a single format for everyone, and it caused confusion for years. The 7th edition fixed this by acknowledging that a freshman essay and a journal submission have different needs.

Here's exactly what goes on each APA 7 title page, and what doesn't. This is the APA 7 format example every student needs.

APA 7 Student Paper Format Title Page

An APA 7 student paper format title page includes the following elements, all centered and double-spaced:

1. Page number — top-right corner, starting with page 1
2. Paper title — bold, centered, Title Case, positioned about one-third down from the top margin
3. Author name — your full name as you want it to appear
4. Institutional affiliation — the university or college you attend
5. Course number and name — for example, PSY 3010: Research Methods
6. Instructor name — including their title (Dr., Professor, etc.)
7. Assignment due date — in the format your institution prefers

What an APA 7 student paper format title page does NOT include:

• No APA 7 running head
• No author note
• No ORCID iD

The APA 7 running head was one of the most frustrating elements of APA 6 for students. Most got it wrong, adding "Running head:" as a label (which was only required on the first page in APA 6) or formatting it incorrectly. APA 7 simply removed the running head requirement for student papers entirely.

Professional Paper Title Page

A professional title page is for manuscripts being submitted for publication in academic journals. It includes:

1. Page number — top-right corner
2. Running head — flush left in the header, ALL CAPS, maximum 50 characters (including spaces and punctuation)
3. Paper title — bold, centered, Title Case, positioned about three to four lines down from the top margin
4. Author names — each author's full name
5. Author affiliations — department and institution for each author
6. Author note — up to four paragraphs covering ORCID iDs, affiliation changes, disclosures/acknowledgments, and contact information

What a professional title page does NOT include:

• No course information
• No instructor name
• No due date

The APA 7 Running Head Question

The APA 7 running head causes more confusion than any other APA 7 format element. Here are the rules, clearly stated:

• Student papers: No APA 7 running head. Just the page number in the top-right corner.
• Professional papers: APA 7 running head required on every page, flush left, ALL CAPS, maximum 50 characters.
• Exception: If your instructor specifically requires a running head on a student paper, include one. The instructor's requirements always override the default APA guidelines.

The running head is a shortened version of your paper title. If your title is "The Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health in Urban Environments," your running head might be "SOCIAL MEDIA AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH."

Common APA 7 Title Page Mistakes

Title not bolded. APA 7 requires the title to be bold. This was not required in APA 6, and it's one of the most frequently missed changes.

Title too long. While there's no hard character limit on the paper title itself, it should be focused and concise, ideally no more than 12 words. Avoid unnecessary phrases like "A Study of..." or "An Investigation Into..." They add length without adding meaning.

Incorrect vertical positioning. The title should appear about one-third of the way down the page, not at the very top and not exactly centered vertically. The space below the last element (due date for students, author note for professionals) should be larger than the space above the title.

Missing elements. Student papers commonly omit the course information or instructor name. Professional papers commonly omit the author note or format it as a single paragraph instead of the structured four-paragraph format.

Wrong date format. Use the date format standard in your country or as specified by your instructor. In the US, this is typically Month Day, Year (February 17, 2026).

Formatting the Title Itself

Regardless of paper type, the title follows these rules:

• Bold
• Centered
• Title Case (capitalize major words, lowercase minor words like "and," "the," "of")
• No abbreviations unless they're universally understood
• No quotation marks
• Can span one or two lines
• Double-spaced like everything else in the document

Why It Matters

Your APA 7 title page is the first impression your paper makes. A correctly formatted APA 7 title page signals that you've read the guidelines, you understand the difference between the APA 7 student paper format and professional conventions, and you care about details. A poorly formatted title page does the opposite — and it happens before anyone reads a single word of your argument. No APA 7 sample paper or APA 7 example will save you if the first page is wrong.

Skip the Guesswork on APA 7 Format

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