WGU materials use APA citation format, and you cite them the same way you would cite any textbook, article, or online resource

Western Governors University provides course materials in several formats — textbooks, articles, videos, and interactive modules — and each type has a slightly different citation. The format you use depends on what your instructor requires, but WGU courses typically expect APA style (American Psychological Association). The key is identifying what kind of source you are citing: a book chapter, a journal article, a video, or course-specific material posted to your learning platform.

Your course syllabus or assignment rubric will tell you which citation style to use. If it does not specify, ask your instructor before you start writing. Most WGU programs use APA, but some courses accept MLA or Chicago style. Once you know the format, the process is straightforward: you cite the author, title, publication date, and where you found it, then list the full source at the end of your paper.

Key Takeaways

  • WGU courses typically require APA citation style, which you should confirm in your syllabus or assignment instructions before you begin writing.
  • Textbooks and articles assigned in your course are cited by author, title, publisher, and year — the same way you would cite them from any other source.
  • Course materials posted only to your WGU learning platform are cited as course materials with the course code, title, and the year you took the course.
  • In-text citations (the short reference in parentheses within your paper) are required every time you quote, paraphrase, or reference an idea from a source.
  • Your reference list at the end of your paper must include every source you cited in the text, formatted according to APA rules.

How to cite textbooks and assigned articles

If your course assigns a textbook or article with a clear author, publisher, and publication date, you cite it using standard APA format. Look at the title page or copyright page of the book to find the author's name, the full title, the publisher, and the year of publication. For articles, you need the author, article title, journal name, volume number, issue number, page numbers, and the year.

In APA style, a textbook citation looks like this: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Book title in italics. Publisher. If the textbook has multiple authors, list them all in the order they appear on the title page, separated by commas, with an ampersand (&) before the last author. For a journal article, the format is: Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Article title in regular text. Journal Name in Italics, Volume(Issue), page range.

When you use information from these sources in your paper, add an in-text citation right after the sentence or idea. In APA, an in-text citation includes the author's last name and the year in parentheses: (Smith, 2021). If you quote directly, add the page number: (Smith, 2021, p. 45). If there is no author listed, use the title or organization name instead.

Citing course materials posted to your learning platform

WGU posts some materials directly to your course in the learning management system — lecture notes, study guides, discussion prompts, or instructor-created handouts. These materials do not have a separate publication or publisher, so you cite them as course materials. The format includes the course code, course title, the year you took the course, and WGU as the institution.

In APA format, a course material citation looks like this: Western Governors University. (Year). Course code and title. Unpublished course material. If the material has a specific author (such as an instructor's name), you can include it at the start: Instructor Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Material title. Unpublished course material, Western Governors University.

In your in-text citation, treat it the same way: (Western Governors University, 2023) or (Instructor Last Name, 2023). If you are quoting directly from course notes or a study guide, include a page number if one is available: (Western Governors University, 2023, p. 12).

How to cite videos and multimedia sources

Many WGU courses include videos, podcasts, or interactive modules. If the video has a clear creator or production company, you cite it by the creator's name, the video title, the platform it is hosted on, and the year. For a YouTube video or similar platform, the format is: Creator Last Name, First Initial. (Year). Video title. Retrieved from URL.

If the video is part of a larger course and has no separate creator listed, cite it as course material using the format described above. For videos from external sources like TED Talks or educational platforms, look for the speaker's name, the talk title, the platform, and the year. In your in-text citation, use the creator's last name and year: (Creator Last Name, Year).

Building your reference list in APA format

At the end of your paper, create a page titled "References" (centered, no bold or italics). List every source you cited in your paper in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Each entry should be formatted according to APA rules, with the first line starting at the left margin and all following lines indented half an inch (called a hanging indent).

Your word processor can create hanging indents automatically. In Microsoft Word, select all your reference entries, then go to Format > Paragraph, and under Indentation, set the first line to "Hanging" at 0.5 inches. In Google Docs, select the text, then use Format > Align & Indent > Increase Indent, then adjust the first-line indent in the ruler at the top of the page.

Double-check that every source you cited in the text appears in your reference list, and that the formatting matches APA style exactly. Common mistakes include forgetting to italicize book titles, using the wrong punctuation between elements, or listing sources in the wrong order. Your instructor's rubric or your course's writing guidelines may include an example reference list you can use as a template.

Using citation tools and templates

WGU's writing center and library often provide citation templates and guides specific to your program. Check your course materials or the WGU library website for links to APA formatting guides, citation generators, or downloadable templates. Tools like EasyBib, CitationMachine, or Zotero can help you format citations automatically, but you should always check the output against your course guidelines to make sure it matches what your instructor expects.

Some instructors provide a sample paper or reference list in your course so you can see the exact format they want. If your course includes a writing rubric, it may specify how many points are awarded for correct citation — this tells you how seriously your instructor takes formatting. If you are unsure whether your citations are correct, submit them early or ask your instructor to review a sample before you turn in your final paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to cite something if I paraphrase instead of quote it directly?

Yes. Paraphrasing means restating an idea in your own words, but the idea still came from another source, so you must cite it. An in-text citation is required whether you quote directly or paraphrase. The only time you do not cite is when you use common knowledge — facts that are widely known and not attributed to a specific source, like the date a historical event occurred or basic scientific facts.

What if a source does not have an author listed?

Use the title of the work instead. In your in-text citation, put the title (or a shortened version if it is long) in quotation marks, followed by the year: ("Course Title," 2023). In your reference list, alphabetize by the first word of the title, ignoring "A," "An," or "The."

Can I use a citation generator to format my sources?

Citation generators like EasyBib or CitationMachine can save time, but always check their output against APA guidelines or your course rubric. These tools sometimes make mistakes, especially with unusual sources or course-specific materials. Use them as a starting point, then review and correct the formatting yourself before you submit.

What is the difference between an in-text citation and a reference list entry?

An in-text citation is the short reference you put in parentheses within your paper right after you use a source. A reference list entry is the full, formatted source information you list at the end of your paper. Every source you cite in the text must have a matching entry in the reference list, but the reference list entry contains more detail.

Do I cite the WGU course itself, or the original source the course assigned?

Cite the original source whenever possible. If your course assigned a textbook chapter, cite the textbook. If your course assigned a journal article, cite the article. Only cite the course itself if the material was created by WGU or your instructor and is not available anywhere else — like instructor-written study guides or course-specific handouts.