Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBC) systems are thin ceramic coatings that are applied in aircraft propulsion and power generation to improve thermal efficiency and reliability by protecting components from high temperature gases.  Aging and environmental factors may cause the coatings to delaminate, creating micro gaps at the coating-substrate interface which slows down the heat transfer rate at the interface and creates hotspots. These microgaps are precursors to total TBC failure.  In this study, we characterized and quantified the effective thermal contact resistance (TCR) induced by degradation of TBC systems.  We used a two–layered model system, nickel superalloy and borosilicate glass, because it closely approximates the thermal and optical properties of conventional TBC systems.  The interface was characterized by using a profilometer and through hardness testing. These parameters were measured combined with known material properties to analytically determine the TCR. A theoretical heat transfer model of our system was developed and was used for further analysis. We compared the results against a noncontact TCR measurement method which irradiates the front side of the sample using a CO2 laser and used a thermal imaging camera to obtain a temperature field response on the back end.  A successful comparison will allow us to determine the TCR using this noncontact test method and further our understanding of TCR in TBC systems.