Photothermal methods have been applied to NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA) to characterize the thermal properties of the as-prepared bulk and moulded samples and to determine the changes of the thermal properties induced by thermal and mechanical treatment and cycling. Depth profiles of the thermal properties of the mechanically and thermally cycled ribbon samples were measured using frequency dependent photothermal radiometry. In addition, a photothermal microscope based on thermoreflectance was applied to image the thermal and optical variations inside a grove which had been milled into a NiTi shape memory specimen.