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The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative approach to teach both theory and practical industrial applications of the Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of materials. There is a well- defined need for such training as the industry is becoming increasingly reliant on the NDE technology, which creates a growing demand for graduates familiar with this field. At the recent meetings of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), the employers constantly emphasized their urgent need for employees with knowledge and experience in the state-of the art computer-based data acquisition and analysis NDE systems. The NDE of materials course was developed for Applied Engineering Technology (AET) students at Drexel University's School of Technology and Professional Studies. This four-credit, hands-on course consists of two parts: the first part stresses the foundations of ultrasound based NDE and the second part focuses on calibration and testing practice. Selected specific NDE applications are presented and discussed in-depth, so the students are gaining insight into the advantages and fundamental limitation of the NDE applications. Particular attention is given to detection and localization of discontinuities such as flaws, cavities, layers, and holes in different materials using state-of-the-art instrumentation. The students learn engineering practice and physical principles of measurements of sound velocity in different materials, attenuation coefficients, material thickness, and location and dimensions of discontinuities in a variety of materials. Laboratory sessions are carefully designed to complement the theoretical background presented to the students during classroom sessions. The course is designed to markedly improve the graduates' skills in the field of NDE utilizing portable ultrasound technology. Upon completion of the course the students undergo a final, comprehensive testing, which aids in their retention of acquired knowledge and testing skills. The course is primarily targeting the undergraduate AET students at the sophomore, pre-junior, or junior levels, however, both undergraduate and graduate Drexel students from other Colleges can enroll providing they comply with the mandatory set of prerequisites. The same acceptance procedure is applied to the students from other universities and community colleges.