Your academic work can start with a professional first impression in case the cover page is well crafted. Whether you are preparing an essay, a research paper, or a dissertation, your paper has to be given in the right format since this indicates that you know how to consider details and value academic standards. Two of the most commonly used styles for writing in an academic style are APA (American Psychological Association) style and MLA (Modern Language Association) style.
Different formats have different specific ways that require to create a cover page and sometimes the difference between a clean submission and a poorly presented one can be determined by following or not the rules of each format. This guide will tell you how to create a great cover page according to APA or MLA, and also describe the difference, layout regulations as well as formatting tips that every student must know.
What Is a Cover Page and Why Is It Important?
The first page of an academic assignment is a cover page, it is also called a title page. The typical formal starting paragraph includes the title of the paper, the author’s name, the name of the institution, the class, the teacher’s name, and the date of submission. This is not the only purpose of a cover page, but it aims to provide all the information about the contents of your project in a proper layout and thus suggest to the reader who they are dealing with – professionals and well-organised people.
When the instructors and reviewers begin reviewing a paper, they often check the student’s focus on formatting in the initial stages. Even if all the content is good, a slightly messy or poorly formatted research cover page may lead to a bad start to orientation.
APA Format Cover Page (7th Edition)
The APA in its 7th edition is generally used in social science, psychology, education, and business disciplines. Though, unlike earlier APA versions, APA 7th draws some formatting lines of distinction between a student paper and a professional manuscript.
Key Elements of an APA Student Cover Page
Title of the paper: The title of the paper is bold and centred in title case (major words capitalised).
Author’s name: First name, last name of author, double-spaced from author’s name and centred under the title.
Institutional affiliation: Your school or university’s full name.
Course name and number: For example, “SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology.”
Instructor’s name: The name of your professor or course facilitator.
Submitted by: Date on which the submission was written in the month, day, and year format (e.g., April 18, 2025).
Page number: In the top-right corner of the header.
APA Cover Page Layout Guidelines
The writer must use a legible font such as 12 pt Times New Roman, 11 pt Arial, or 11 pt Calibri Times New Roman 12 pt, and 11 pt Calibri. The text should be double-spaced. The margins should be 1 inch on all sides. The elements in the cover page should not have extra spacing between them, as all the elements should be double-spaced consecutively.
Example APA Cover Page (Student Paper)
1
Effect of Social Media on Mental Health
Johnathan R. Clarke
California State University
PSY 201: Introduction to Psychology
Dr. Amanda B. Henderson
April 18, 2025
MLA Format Cover Page
The most up-to-date version (9th edition) of MLA citation Format is used for subjects in the humanities, particularly in literature, philosophy and the arts. In the technical sense, MLA style does not require a cover page for student papers, but rather only for professional documents; however, it is acceptable to follow an instructor’s demand if opted for. However, the needed information is listed at the top-left corner of the first page of the essay. If you need a separate cover page, however, then here is how you will structure it.
Key elements of an MLA Cover page
In case it has to be used, there are key elements of an MLA Cover page, which may be more amenable to a business use as there is a subject line and a body line: The subject line is for the title of your paper and the body line is for Your name, Instructor’s name, The Course name and number and Date of Submission.
The title of the paper is centred and written in standard capitalisation (no bold, no underlining, and no italicisation).
Your name
Instructor’s name
Course name and number
Date of submission: Written in the day-month-year format (e.g., 18 April 2025).
These elements are typically middle aligned both horizontally as well as vertically on the page without page numbers or headers unless otherwise directed by the instructor.
MLA First Page Formatting (Without a Cover Page)
If a cover is not used, in top left hand corner of the first page should be the information and the title centered over your essay. In the rest of the paper, normal double spacing should be used, with a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman.
Example MLA First Page (Without Cover Page)
Johnathan R. Clarke
Dr. Amanda B. Henderson
English 210: Modern Literature
18 April 2025
Everyone who has seen a social media post with a breakup status is aware that social media harms mental health.
[Essay starts here…]
Example MLA Cover Page (Optional Format)
Social media is the red devil that is slowly taking us on a dying journey.
Johnathan R. Clarke
Dr. Amanda B. Henderson
English 210: Modern Literature
18 April 2025
Differences Between an APA vs MLA cover page.
The purpose and presentation of cover pages in both formats are entirely different. Consequently, an APA cover page is more detailed and structured, particularly if it includes a running page number on the header along with the writer’s institutional affiliation. On the other hand, MLA format is more minimalist and depends on you whether to use the title page.
Additionally, the date formatting is different as it is month–day–year in APA while MLA format is day–month–year. Additionally, APA pleads for heading boldness and its title case, while MLA has a simpler look with no extra special meaning or formatting given to its title.
Tips for Making an Impressive Cover Page
Here are some helpful tips to ensure that you make a strong impression with your cover page:
- Ensure every element is placed properly with the line spacing according to APA or MLA formatting guidelines.
- A professional tone is reflected through consistency in the size of font, the style of font and the amount of space between different lines. In addition, do not use decorative fonts, unnecessary graphics or coloured text.
- Just like a polished cover page looks, simplicity and clarity are key in its making.
- Check typos, especially names, dates and titles. Having even slight errors on the cover page can be interpreted negatively on your attention to detail.
- If your instructor has specific instructions (such as indicating word count or asking you to provide the university logo), you will of course adhere to these instructions.
- Also, it’s handy to make it a reusable template for future assignments. However, many students find it useful to use Microsoft Word or Google Docs templates that have been customised for APA and MLA formats.
CONCLUSION
While crafting an impressive cover page might seem insignificant enough in the academic writing process, it helps a lot in setting an overtone for the entire paper. There are different formatting requirements of APA and MLA styles to include in the title page, and the student must get to understand how to create a neat and professional-looking title page.
If you are using the APA format, then the cover pages has to be detailed and has to contain a standard APA format. On the other hand, if you are using MLA format, then you can skip the cover page unless asked to include it. In any case, the way out will be simplicity, precision and adherence to the rules of formatting.
Follow the guidelines mentioned in this blog and you can easily make a perfect cover page that will help to build up your credibility as a writer and make a high first impression before the reader.
