Ultrasonic　guided　waves　have　been　widely　applied　to　the　defect　inspection　of　typical　waveguide　structures　including　plates　and　pipes　because　of　their　large　area　inspection　capability　and　high　efficiency.　As　one　type　of　the　transducer　for　ultrasonic　guided　waves　inspection,　electromagnetic　acoustic　transducers　(EMAT)　attracted　wide　attention　and　got　rapid　development.　In　this　paper,　the　research　progress　of　EMAT　for　ultrasonic　guided　waves　inspection　in　the　past　twenty　years　was　reviewed.　Main　contents　include　the　following　aspects:　the　structural　design　of　the　single-mode　EMAT　used　in　the　ultrasonic　guided　waves　inspection　of　plate-like　and　pipe　structures;　the　configuration　parameters　optimization　design　of　coil　and　magnet　for　improving　the　energy　and　the　purity　of　guided　wave　modes,　the　configuration　design　of　new　type　patch　EMAT　for　non-metallic　materials;　and　the　application　of　array　technique　on　the　EMAT　performance　optimization　and　defect　localization　and　imaging.　©　2017,　Editorial　Department　of　Journal　of　Beijing　University　of　Technology.　All　right　reserved.