How to Cite a Lecture in MLA 9th Edition
MLA 9th edition format for citing lectures. Covers in-person class lectures, recorded lectures, lecture slides, and online presentations—with examples for each type.
Citing a lecture in MLA follows a similar pattern to other MLA entries, but the format differs based on the type of lecture: an in-person class lecture, a recorded/online lecture, or a conference presentation. MLA 9th edition (2021) uses the container system, which makes lecture citations more flexible than in previous editions.
MLA Format for an In-Person Class Lecture
Professor Last Name, First Name. "Lecture Title." Course Name, Institution, Date. Example: Williams, Sandra. "Postmodern Narrative Techniques." ENGL 3050: Advanced Literary Theory, University of Michigan, 14 Feb. 2023. If no official lecture title is given, describe the content: Williams, Sandra. Lecture on postmodern narrative. ENGL 3050: Advanced Literary Theory, University of Michigan, 14 Feb. 2023.
MLA Format for a Recorded or Online Lecture
Presenter Last Name, First Name. "Lecture Title." Course or Event Name, Institution, Date. Platform, URL. Example: Sandel, Michael. "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?" Justice, Harvard University, 2009. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY. For recorded Zoom or webinar lectures available online: use the platform name (Zoom, WebEx, Teams) and the URL if publicly accessible.
MLA Format for Lecture Notes or Slides
For citing lecture slides (e.g., from Canvas or posted online): Professor Last Name, First Name. "Lecture Title." Course Name, Institution, Date. Medium. Example: Chen, David. "Bayesian Statistics in Research Design." PSYCH 6010: Research Methods, University of Toronto, 3 Mar. 2023. Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. If the slides are available at a URL: add the URL at the end in the same format as other online sources.
In-Text Citations for MLA Lectures
In-text citations for lectures follow standard MLA format—author's last name in parentheses: (Williams). Since lectures typically don't have page numbers, just use the author name. If you're referencing a specific timestamp in a recorded lecture: (Williams, 14:35). If you attended the lecture in person and are paraphrasing, a single parenthetical reference to the professor's name is sufficient.
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