In anticipation of devices scaling down further to the few nanometer regime, the ability to characterize material localized within the few nm of a critical device region poses a current challenge, particularly when the material is already buried under other material layers such as under a metal contact. Conventional techniques typically provide indirect information of the nanoscale material quality through a surface or volume averaging perspective. Here we present a study of local (nm range) oxidation in few nanometer thick Co-films using Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy/Spectroscopy (BEEM/BEES). Co films were grown on n-Si(111) substrates, oxidized in ambient atmosphere before capping with a thin Au film to prevent further oxidation and enable BEEM measurements. In addition to BEES, the temporal progression of Co oxidation was also tracked by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. At room temperature, we report that the electron injection thresholds are sufficiently different for local regions with Co and oxidized-Co enabling their distinction in BEEM measurements. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using BEEM for nanoscale spatial mapping of the oxidized regions in Co-films, and this can provide critical information toward the successful fabrication of next generation Co-based nano-devices.