In England and Wales,prospective university students apply for places through the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA). Students do not apply directly to the universities themselves. Successful candidates are admitted directly into a specific degree "course." A degree course normally takes three or four years to complete. At most universities students study only one major subject. Each course is structured with a fixed program of classes for the entire three years. Increasingly, universities in the United Kingdom are offering classes on a modular basis, which allows students to broaden their studies creating a more interdisciplinary program. This modularization, however,has not replaced the traditional British degree course with the American concept of credit accumulation. In addition, there is generally a sharp distinction between the arts and sciences and there is seldom any cross-over between the two. At a British university, more emphasis is placed on independent, self-directed study than in the United States. Required texts and definite reading assignments are less common. More typically, an extensive reading list covering all topics to be discussed is distributed at the start of the course to be used for independent research. British students typically consult a large number of sources from the library rather than intensively studying a few books purchased by everyone taking a course. In addition, students are required to write more essays and take fewer objective tests than at utions. Classes often take the following forms: lectures, which are sometimes completely optional; tutorials,in which a small number of students meet with the lecturer;and seminars, larger discussion classes often based upon seminar essays. Unlike the U.S. system of regular testing in a course,British students sit for final examinations that cover the full year's determine the grades for the class. With the growth of modularization, however, there has also been an increase in the number and variety of modules offered on a semester basis