An apparatus for generating and detecting an electromagnetic ultrasonic wave in which a magnetic field generator forms a magnetic field at the surface area of one side of a conductive material, and an eddy current and impulse of a magnetic field are produced in the surface area by supplying a high frequency current pulse to an ultrasonic wave generating coil, the interaction therebetween producing an ultrasonic wave which travels in the conductive material and further, the eddy current resulting from the interaction between the formed magnetic field and a reflected ultrasonic wave being reflected by another side of the conductive material or the internal defect contained therein is detected by a detecting coil which is electromagnetically separated from the ultrasonic wave generating coil by a decoupling means.