How Do I Format a Title Page in Turabian/Chicago Style?

Here’s how to set up a Chicago-style title page following the guidelines in Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. (See section A.2.1.2 in the appendix called “Paper Format and Submission.”)

Class papers should begin with a title page (but some put the title on the first page of the text; consult your instructor).

Place the title of the paper a third of the way down the page, usually centered (see Turabian, A.1.5).
If the paper has both a main title and a subtitle, put the main title on a single line, followed by a colon, and begin the subtitle on a new line with an intervening line space.
Several lines below it, place your name along with any information requested by your instructor, such as the course title (including its department and number) and the date.
Figure A.1 in Turabian shows a sample title page for a class paper. For most such papers, this is the only front matter needed.*

Sample Page: Title Page

*For a thesis or dissertation, most departments and universities provide model title pages that should be followed exactly for wording and form. Otherwise use figure A.2 in Turabian as a model. Count the title page as page i, but do not put that number on it.

IMPORTANT: Your instructor’s requirements may overrule Chicago’s formatting recommendations!

The Turabian tip sheets illustrate everything you need to know for formatting a student paper in Chicago style. They are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). You can print them and download them.