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APA Style

APA Template

Using the APA Paper Template will save you time when formatting your paper. Watch the following video to learn how to use the template and its features. 

If you're already familiar with it, download and save the template and begin writing! 

Basic Paper Setup

APA Style has specific rules about the format of your paper. Review the following Academic Writer tutorial to learn how to set up your paper in APA style, including the font, line spacing, margins, paragraphs, and page numbers.

Basic Paper Setup opens a new window

Paper Sections Formatting

Once you have the basic formatting down for the paper, you'll need to ensure the formatting for the title page, body paragraph, and reference pages also follows APA formatting. Take a look at each section to learn more. 

Title Page

The title page of a student paper includes the page number in the header and lists the following information centered in the top half of the page.

  • Title of Paper, bolded

  • Student Name

  • Rasmussen University

  • Course Number: Course Title

  • Instructors Name

  • Assignment Due Date (Note: For CBE courses, please use assignment submission date)

For more information on title pages and how to set them up, visit the following Academic Writer quick guide.

Title Page Quick Guide

Body of Paper
  • Titled centered and bolded at the top of the page
  • One-inch margins (Word default margins)
  • Text double-spaces
  • The paragraph begins with a 1/2 inch indent (one stroke of the tab key)
  • One space between sentences

Reference List

In academic writing, research resources support positions in a paper. Cited sources are listed alphabetically in a reference list, providing access information. The reference list appears at the end of the paper.

  • The references list is the last section of the paper and begins on its page.
  • The word References is centered and bolded at the top of the page
  • Entries are double-spaced and are listed in alphabetical order by the first word of the entry
  • A hanging indent is used for references that continue beyond one line
  • All sources listed in the References section are cited using matching in-text citations within the text of the paper

View example references on the Reference page in this Guide.