APA Paper Formatting

APA Format for Graduate and Dissertation Writing

Formatting standards get stricter — and matter more — as you move from seminar papers into dissertation-length work. This guide covers the professional paper format APA requires for graduate manuscripts, plus the additional conventions you’ll need once you’re formatting a full dissertation.

Why Graduate Work Uses a Different Format Than Undergraduate Papers

APA 7th edition distinguishes between student papers (used for most undergraduate coursework) and professional papers (used for manuscripts intended for publication or formal academic review — which describes most of your graduate and doctoral writing). The professional format requires two elements student papers skip entirely: a running head on every page, and a formal abstract. Submitting graduate work without these is one of the most common formatting errors committees flag.

Review APA citation standards for graduate research

Title Page Format for Professional Papers

A professional title page includes, centered:

1. Paper title (bold, title case)
2. Author’s name
3. Institutional affiliation (University of Fairfax, plus your department/program)
4. Course number and name (for coursework) or committee information (for dissertation work)
5. Instructor or committee chair’s name
6. Due date or submission date

Additionally, every professional paper requires an author note — a brief paragraph (on the title page) with your ORCID iD (if you have one), any disclosures, and contact information.

The Running Head and Page Numbers

Unlike student papers, professional papers require a running head — a shortened version of your title (50 characters or fewer, all capitals) — in the page header of every page, left-aligned, with the page number right-aligned on the same line. This applies from the title page through your references and appendices.

The Abstract

Your abstract goes on its own page immediately after the title page: a single paragraph, not indented, 150–250 words, summarizing your research question, methodology, findings, and implications. Below the abstract, list 3–5 keywords, indented 0.5 inches, introduced with the italicized word “Keywords:”

Formatting a Multi-Chapter Dissertation

Once you move beyond a single paper into dissertation-length work, a few additional conventions come into play that a standard APA guide won’t cover:

• Consistent heading levels across chapters. Decide early which heading level represents a chapter title versus a major section, and apply it identically in every chapter — inconsistency here is one of the most common formatting issues committees send back for revision.
• A working Table of Contents. Use your word processor’s heading styles (not manually typed dots and page numbers) so your Table of Contents updates automatically as the document grows.
• Page breaks between chapters, not just extra blank lines — this keeps formatting stable as you add or edit content later.
• Appendices, each starting on a new page, labeled “Appendix A,” “Appendix B,” and so on, and referenced by that label in your body text.

Formatting your literature review? See our Annotated Bibliography guide

Common Formatting Mistakes in Graduate Submissions

• Omitting the running head or abstract, assuming the student format applies — it doesn’t, once you’re writing for graduate-level or committee review.
• Inconsistent heading styles between chapters, especially in dissertations written over a long period — go back and check all chapters match before final submission.
• Manually typing the Table of Contents instead of using heading styles — this breaks the moment you revise a chapter.
• Forgetting the keywords line below the abstract, or formatting it as a bullet list instead of a run-in paragraph.
• Treating appendices as an afterthought — each one needs its own page break and a clear label referenced in your text.

FAQ

Does my seminar paper need a running head?

If it’s graduate coursework intended for formal submission, yes — University of Fairfax graduate work follows the professional paper format, which requires a running head.

How long should my abstract be?

150–250 words, as a single unindented paragraph, followed by 3–5 keywords.

What’s the biggest formatting issue dissertation committees flag?

Inconsistent heading levels across chapters — it’s worth a dedicated formatting pass across the entire document before submission, not just within each chapter as you write it.

APA Style’s official sample professional paper, apastyle.apa.org, for a complete visual template.