The Turabian Title Page: Where Everything Goes

Most Turabian papers start with a title page. Whatever you're writing, from a short history paper to a long research project, it's your starting point.

What goes on the title page

For a class paper, the title page holds:

• The title of your paper (and subtitle, if it has one)
• Your name
• The course, with its number and title
• The date

Turabian keeps this list short on purpose: your name plus whatever your instructor asks for. Many instructors also want their own name, or the name of your school. If your instructor asks for something, like a student ID, add it on its own line in that lower group. Your instructor's instructions always come first.

How to format each part

Everything on the page is centered, in the same font as the rest of the paper.

• The title. About a third of the way down the page, in bold, with headline-style capitalization: capitalize the first and last words and every major word; leave short words like a, of, and, and in lowercase unless they come first.
• A subtitle. If your title has one, end the main title with a colon and put the subtitle on the next line.
• Your name, the course, and the date. Several lines below the title, roughly two-thirds of the way down, each on its own line, not bold. Write the course with its number and title (ANTH 215: Science and Pseudoscience) and the date as Month Day, Year (October 14, 2026).

The page number

The title page is page 1, but its number is hidden. In your word processor, choose the setting for a different first page so the header on the title page stays empty. The number 2 appears on the next page.

No title page?

Some instructors don't want a separate title page. In that case, put the title at the top of the first page of text, centered and bold, and start the paper below it. Ask if you're not sure which your instructor prefers.

A finished title page

Here is the title page from the sample Bigfoot paper used throughout Turabian 101. Notice how much of the page stays empty.

1. The titleBold, centered, headline-style capitals, a third of the way down. The colon ends the main title and the subtitle starts a new line.
2. Your detailsName, course, and date, centered, each on its own line.
3. No page numberThe page counts as page 1, but the number isn't shown.

Quick checklist

• Title a third of the way down, bold, centered, headline-style capitals
• Subtitle on its own line after a colon
• Name, course, and date centered lower on the page, each on its own line
• Anything else your instructor asks for, added to that lower group
• No page number showing on the title page

How PERRLA builds the title page

PERRLA builds the title page for you. A short form asks for the title, your name, school, course, instructor, and date when you create the paper, and you fill in only the lines your instructor wants. The title page appears centered, with the title in bold, the subtitle on its own line, and no page number.

Related Turabian 101 lessons

• Basic page setup: margins, font, spacing, indents, and page numbers.
• Body pages: where the text starts, the page number, and the footnotes.
• Headings: Turabian's five levels of subheadings, and why most papers need two.
• Final checks and common mistakes: the last pass before you submit.
• All 18 lessons in Turabian 101