NDT Degrees and Apprenticeships Welcome pack
Welcome to NDT Degrees and Apprenticeships – January 2026
Welcome to your NDT course. We hope that you will enjoy your studies and professional development during your course.
NDT BEng (Hons) Degree Apprenticeship
Your programme will last for 4 years and is delivered by on-campus residential weeks 4 times per year, supplemented by online sessions and online course materials.
On this BEng (Hons) NDT Degree Apprenticeship your academic term starts in January 2026. The study period for all modules runs in parallel finishing in July 2026. Timetables for your lectures and lab sessions during the residential weeks will be found in the University’s online timetable system. The modules are assessed by on-campus exams in July or by coursework during the teaching period Jan-July.
NDT BSc (Hons) Level 6 Engineer Degree Apprenticeship
You have joined a Distance Learning course usually lasting 3-4 years. We will usually not meet in person, but I hope to get to know you over this time.
On this BSc (Hons) NDT Degree Apprenticeship your academic term starts in January 2026. The study period for all modules runs in parallel finishing in July 2026.
NDT BSc (Hons) and FdSc (Top-Up)
You have joined a Distance Learning course so we will usually not meet in person, but I hope to get to know you during the time you are studying with us.
On both these programmes your academic term starts in January 2026. The study period for all modules runs in parallel, finishing in July 2026.
All students
Once enrolled you will be able to access the University online systems. Even before that you can access a lot of information on the University public website, for example University Regulations and Student Handbook.
In addition to on-campus teaching (if applicable), you will also access your some course materials on the University online learning platform. This is also where you will submit assessments for some of your modules.
There is also a NILE area which gives important information about your course overall. Please look here to make sure you are aware of your course dates, deadlines, assessment regulations, academic conduct/ misconduct, and other aspects of your University course. You will also find the Course Handbook (Apprenticeships) or Student Guide (BSc and FdSc Top-up) for your course.
You are joining the University of Northampton as a student as well as an apprentice, so don’t miss out on all the University online facilities and support services. These are accessed through the University website (log in for best results), the online Student Hub, and the MyNorthampton App.
Some examples are the Library (which has access to online books and journals, and selected NDT standards through BSI), Learning Development Team (who offer online Maths tutorials), Student Support services, ASSIST Disability Support, and the Northampton Students’ Union.
Of course you can always get in touch with me as Course Leader and your Personal Academic Tutor and I will do my best to help you.
Your Course Leader
Dr Katherine Kirk
Senior Lecturer in Engineering
Welcome and Induction Sessions
Please see accordion below for any induction sessions relevant to your course.
This is your induction timetable with in-person sessions on 12 January 2026. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Katherine.kirk@northampton.ac.uk.
Monday 12 January 2026
Session: Issue of Student Card
- Time: 9 – 10am
- Location: Learning Hub Ground floor, Waterside campus
Session: Course Induction and Introduction to Aptem
- Time: 11am – 1pm
- Location: LH125, Learning Hub, Waterside campus, but please check online timetable
This is a Distance Learning programme with no on-campus sessions. We will be in touch with you once the course has started to help you with the requirements for your apprenticeship. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Course Leader Katherine.kirk@northampton.ac.uk.
This is a Distance Learning programme with no on-campus sessions. We will be in touch with you once the course has started to help you with the requirements for your course. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Course Leader Katherine.kirk@northampton.ac.uk.
Preparation and Specialist Equipment
NDT BEng (Hons) Degree Apprenticeship
The BEng (Hons) NDT Degree Apprenticeship is based on the Level 6 NDT Engineer apprenticeship standard
The Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours are the key areas of professional competence that you will cover during your course, to reach the professional standard expected of an NDT engineer by the end of your apprenticeship.
The Level 6 NDT Engineer standard is based on the UK-SPEC standard for professional engineering registration at IEng (Incorporated Engineer) level. You can find out more about engineering professional registration and the IEng standard on the Engineering Council website.
A Level 6 NDT Engineer should have a good overview of developments in their field and should develop a professional network. You are advised to join a professional engineering institute (PEI) during your course (if not already a member). The professional engineering institute for NDT and related areas is British Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), which hosts regular webinars and networking activities. Apprentices can join BINDT at the free Affiliate level with no joining fee.
You can find more documents relevant to the NDT Engineer apprenticeship on the BINDT website.
NDT BSc (Hons) Degree Apprenticeship
Our BSc (Hons) NDT Degree Apprenticeship is designed for experienced NDT practitioners and we assume good background knowledge in NDT, plus experience of the maths required for a typical complex NDT method at Level 2 certification.
You may wish to revisit in advance some of that mathematical content to give yourself a better start. Khan Academy is a trusted source of learning in these areas (such as trigonometry, algebra, etc). Try this Trigonometry page and then explore more.
On joining the course, you will begin independent study of the course materials – think about how you will plan your time to do this work and meet your study and assessment deadlines. The University of Northampton website can help you with many general queries, and also provides study-skills guides and learning development opportunities.
The BSc (Hons) NDT Degree Apprenticeship is based on the Level 6 NDT Engineer apprenticeship standard
The Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours are the key areas of professional competence that you will cover during your course, to reach the professional standard expected of an NDT engineer by the end of your apprenticeship.
The Level 6 NDT Engineer standard is based on the UK-SPEC standard for professional engineering registration at IEng (Incorporated Engineer) level. You can find out more about engineering professional registration and the IEng standard on the Engineering Council.
A Level 6 NDT Engineer should have a good overview of developments in their field and should develop a professional network. You are advised to join a professional engineering institute (PEI) during your course (if not already a member). The professional engineering institute for NDT and related areas is British Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), which hosts regular webinars and networking activities. Apprentices can join BINDT at the free Affiliate level with no joining fee.
You can find more documents relevant to the NDT Engineer apprenticeship on the BINDT website.
NDT BSc (Hons) and FdSc (Top-Up)
Our FdSc (NDT) and BSc(Hons) NDT degrees are designed for experienced NDT practitioners and we assume good background knowledge in NDT, plus experience of the maths required for a typical complex NDT method at Level 2 certification.
You may wish to revisit in advance some of that mathematical content to give yourself a better start. Khan Academy is a trusted source of learning in these areas (such as trigonometry, algebra, etc). Start with the Trigonometry page, then explore more.
On joining the course, you will begin independent study of the course materials – think about how you will plan your time to do this work and meet your study and assessment deadlines. The University of Northampton website can help you with many general queries, and also provides study-skills guides and learning development opportunities.
All students
Since we will be contacting you mainly online, and you will be working on computer-based assessments, you will need a suitable computer and regular internet access.
You will also need to keep in good contact with the University, by regularly checking your University email address and logging into the Nile pages for your courses in case there are any announcements or reminders.