Formatting a title page in Chicago style

This guide covers how to format a title page in Chicago style. The formatting recommendations here are based on the 9th edition of Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, but this page is not affiliated with the Turabian manual or The Chicago Manual of Style. Turabian is a version of Chicago style made especially for students, particularly for those writing research papers, theses, and dissertations.

Keep in mind that most universities and academic institutions have very specific models and guidelines for the submission of theses and dissertations. Those rules should always be followed, even if they do not adhere to the Chicago-style recommendations.

Papers for classes will typically follow the format described here, but make sure to check with your instructor first. It may suffice to simply include your title centered on the first page of your paper.

If no specific guidelines are given for formatting your title page, you can use this guide to help format your paper’s title page in Chicago style!

Here are the key elements of a Chicago/Turabian-style title page:

• The entire title page should be double-spaced.
• Your title should be centered about 1/3 of the way down the page and placed in bold.
• If your title has multiple parts, the first line should include your main title, followed by a colon. The other parts of your title will follow on the next line(s).
• Use headline capitalization (e.g., An Investigation into Literary Tropes) for your title. This means you should capitalize all of the important words in your title (generally all words except articles and prepositions).
• Leave a few blank lines (the number is up to you) before you give your name (also centered). You may also want to include the course title, section number, date, and any other relevant information.
• You should count your title page as the first page of your paper, but do not number it.

Here’s an example of a title page for a course paper formatted in Chicago style:

For help writing your essay, research paper, or other project, check out these writing tips.

Works Consulted:

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. https://doi.org/10.7208/cmos17.

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018.