History, theology, art history, and many humanities departments still ask for Chicago style, often through Kate Turabian’s A Manual for Writers. Unlike MLA, Turabian does expect a separate title page for class papers, and it describes that page in a particular way: the title about a third of the way down, your name and course details lower, everything centred. This template follows that arrangement and frames it in a restrained navy and gold border, so the page looks like the front of a well-made academic document.
Turabian’s Title Page in Three Zones
It helps to think of a Turabian title page as three zones stacked from top to bottom.
- Top zone: the name of your institution, if your instructor wants it. Here it reads The University of Ashford, set in spaced capitals.
- Middle zone: the title, about one third down the page, followed by a subtitle on its own line. The template sets the title in capitals (The Railroad and the Making of the American West, 1862-1890) and the subtitle in italics (A Study of Land Grants, Labor and Settlement).
- Lower zone: a submission statement, your name, the course, and the date. The template includes A Paper Submitted to Professor Margaret Ellis in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for HIST 342: The American West, then Department of History, by Daniel J. Whitfield, Chicago, Illinois, and November 3, 2026.
The Frame, the Corners and the Column
A thick navy rule surrounds the page, with a thin gold rule just inside it. Small gold diamonds mark each corner where the lines meet. At the top centre, a small ionic column emblem sits above the university name, a nod to classical scholarship. The whole page uses EB Garamond, a typeface based on sixteenth-century book types, which feels right for history and the humanities. There is no photo slot and no colour block; the frame does the decorating so the text can stay formal.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date?
Chicago has two citation systems. Notes-bibliography, with footnotes and a bibliography, is common in history, literature, and the arts. Author-date, with parenthetical citations and a reference list, is used more in the social sciences. The title page is the same for both, so this template works whichever system your instructor requires. A small italic line near the bottom of the frame reads Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. · Turabian, 9th ed., so your reader knows which rules you followed. Add Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date to it if your instructor likes the system spelled out, or delete it altogether.
Writing a Submission Statement That Sounds Right
The submission statement is optional for short class papers but common for seminar papers and theses. A standard pattern is: A Paper Submitted to [Instructor] in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for [Course Number and Name]. For a thesis, replace Paper with Thesis and name the degree instead of the course. Keep the wording formal and avoid adding phrases like humbly submitted. Use the instructor’s academic title as it appears on the syllabus, and copy the course number exactly, including any section letter. If the paper is for an independent study, name the supervising professor and write Independent Study in History or the registered course title instead.
Customizing the Template Step by Step
- Click the university name at the top and type your institution, or delete it if your instructor does not want it.
- Replace the capitalised title. Keep it short enough to fit on two or three lines.
- Edit the italic subtitle, or delete it if your paper has none.
- Update the submission statement with your instructor’s name and the course.
- Change the department, your name, your city, and the date in the lower block.
- Edit or delete the small style note at the bottom of the frame.
Changing the Frame Colours
The outer navy border and the inner gold border are separate shapes. Select either one and pick a new stroke colour. Burgundy with gold suits theology and law schools; dark green with gold feels traditional for history departments; black with grey is the most conservative choice. The corner diamonds and the column emblem can follow whichever accent you choose. The column is an editable vector, so its colour swatches appear when you select it.
Turabian Details Students Ask About
Turabian recommends that the title page not carry a page number, even though it counts as page one in the sequence. Your first page of text then shows page 2, or page 1 if your instructor tells you not to count the title page. Title capitalization follows headline style: capitalize the first and last words and all major words, and lowercase articles, short prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions. If you write the title in all capitals, as this template does, the question does not arise on the cover, but it matters again in your bibliography.
Paper, Size and Print Settings
The page is US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches. The frame sits well inside the printable area of a standard home printer, so it will not be clipped. Download as a PDF and choose actual size when printing. The thin gold line is light, so print on a laser printer or at best quality on an inkjet if you want it crisp. White, smooth 24 lb paper is ideal; textured or cream paper can make the thin gold line look faint.
When a Turabian Cover Is Not Enough
Dissertations and master’s theses usually follow a graduate school’s own formatting manual, which may differ from Turabian in margins, spacing, and signature pages. Use this design for seminar papers, senior theses, and course research papers. For a dissertation, check your graduate school’s template first; the PhD dissertation design in this collection may suit you better.
Frequently Asked Turabian Questions
Should my name be in capitals too?
No. Turabian sets the title in capitals or headline style, but your name stays in normal capitalization.
Do I need the city line?
It is traditional on theses and some seminar papers. For an ordinary class paper, you can remove it.
Is the decorative frame acceptable?
Turabian does not mention borders. Most instructors accept a simple frame, but delete it if your instructor wants a plain page.
