Most graduate schools mandate their own exact title-page template regardless of citation style. This generator produces a defensible draft following standard academic guidelines. Always compare your output against your program's official thesis-formatting manual before final submission.
Why Title Pages Differ by Citation Style
APA 7 (American Psychological Association)
APA 7 emphasizes consistent formatting across academic disciplines in the social sciences, education, and business. The APA title page places the title in bold and centers all elements vertically, with author name, degree information, institution, and submission date all centered. This format prioritizes clarity and formal structure, making it the standard for psychology, sociology, education, and many STEM fields. Most universities that require APA formatting will accept this standard layout.
See the full APA 7 formatting guide
MLA 9 (Modern Language Association)
MLA 9 is commonly used in humanities disciplines, particularly literature, languages, and cultural studies. Notably, MLA does not mandate a separate title page for student papers—instead, student work typically begins with a left-aligned heading block containing the student's name, instructor, course, and date. However, many graduate programs require a separate MLA-formatted title page for theses and dissertations. If your program requires one, use the toggle in the tool to generate a centered layout while maintaining MLA conventions.
See the full MLA thesis formatting guide
Chicago-Turabian Style
Chicago Manual of Style, often called Turabian in academic contexts, is the preferred standard in history, philosophy, and some social sciences. Chicago title pages follow a distinctive layout with the title positioned roughly one-third down the page, followed by a submission statement that specifies the degree type, institution, and department. The author name appears near the bottom, with the institution name and date at the very bottom. This format creates a formal, book-like appearance appropriate for scholarly monographs and graduate theses.
See the full Chicago-Turabian thesis formatting guide
Generic University Format
If your institution provides no specific style guide or expects a generic thesis title page, a sensible default follows basic academic conventions: centered title in a readable size, centered author name and degree information, and submission details at the bottom. This format is widely accepted across institutions and serves as a fallback when your graduate school handbook does not specify otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my thesis need a separate title page?
Most graduate programs require a separate title page. Check your institution's thesis or dissertation formatting guidelines to be certain. Your graduate school handbook will specify whether a title page is mandatory, which style to follow, and any program-specific requirements. Some universities have their own institutional templates that supersede standard citation style conventions.
Which style should I pick if my program doesn't specify?
If your program has not specified a citation style, choose based on your academic discipline: use APA 7 for sciences, social sciences, education, and engineering; MLA 9 for literature, languages, and humanities; Chicago-Turabian for history, philosophy, and some humanities disciplines. When in doubt, ask your graduate advisor or graduate program coordinator. If still uncertain, the Generic University format is a safe, universally acceptable choice.
Can I copy this text directly into my thesis document?
Yes. This tool generates plain text that you can copy and paste into your thesis document. After pasting, ensure the formatting matches your institution's requirements by checking margins, spacing, font choices, and alignment against your official thesis manual. Some universities may have specific font or size requirements that you will need to apply after pasting the content.
Why doesn't MLA have a standard title page?
The Modern Language Association guidelines were developed primarily for student papers in undergraduate courses, which do not use separate title pages. Instead, student work begins with a heading block in the upper left corner. Graduate theses and dissertations, however, often require a formal title page regardless of citation style. This tool provides both options: a left-aligned MLA heading block for traditional papers, and a centered title page for institutions requiring one for graduate work.
How should I handle a multi-line title?
If your title spans multiple lines, enter it with line breaks in the title field. This tool will preserve the line breaks in your preview. In your final document, ensure that multi-line titles are single-spaced and properly centered or aligned according to your chosen citation style. Check your institution's manual for rules about line length and word count in titles.