There is no question that nondestructive technology (NDT) is growing by leaps and bounds as an industry. In fact, just four short years ago the market was valued a $12 billion and it has now grown to nearly $18 billion dollars. Thus, NDT is not only an efficient way for people in the aerospace industry and other markets to test and inspect valuable equipment without destroying said equipment; it is the wave of the future. This is why more and more engineering professionals are drawn to this field. But which institution of higher learning offers people seeking a career in this field the greatest opportunity to learn about this fascinating topic? Here are some of the finest institutions in the country for learning more about NDT and ultrasonic testing.
- Drexel University: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Drexel offers both undergraduate and graduate level NDT training within its Mechanical Engineering department. It also gives students the opportunity to work with tools in the field of NDT so that they can gain practical experience apart from classroom study.
- American Institute of Nondestructive Testing: Online and Baxter, MN – AIND gives students hands on nondestructive training with experience at their facility in Baxter, MN. Moreover, AINDT also provides online courses that are available at each student’s convenience on IPad, iPhone, and Android devices.
- College of William and Mary: Williamsburg, Virginia – This prestigious college offers NDT training within its department of Applied Sciences. Students are taught about nondestructive test by being allowed to engage in outside classroom experiments. Additionally, William and Mary offers its students the opportunity to earn either a Master’s of Science or a Doctorate degree.
- University of Illinois: Urbana, Illinois – This university offers NDT training within its Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering department and gives students the opportunity to earn either an undergraduate or a graduate level degree in the field. Additionally, students are also given the opportunity to do research within the university’s own Nondestructive Testing and Research Laboratory. Here, students are encouraged to explore and possibly even develop new methods of NDT and NDE.
- Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology: Tulsa, Oklahoma – This institution offers training in two programs – Nondestructive Testing and Quality Control. Additionally, exceptional studies can be fast-tracked in their NDT program within 11 months and can earn a Quality Control degree after an additional 6 months.
All of the above institutions can help students learn about this burgeoning field. They do so with a combination of classroom learning and practical experience on immersion ultrasonic testing equipment such as the ultrasonic squirter system and many other kinds of state-of-the-art devices. The inclusion of NDT training in the curriculum of these and many other institutions shows the gaining popularity of this technique and why it is vital to a number of industries.