GeSbSe chalcogenide thin films were deposited using glancing angle deposition onto transparent glass substrates for the, determination of the spectral behavior of the optical constants (index of refraction n and extinction coefficient k) in the visible and near infrared ranges (400-2500 nm) as a function of the deposition angle. Computational simulations based on the matrix method were employed to determine the values of the optical constants of the different films from the experimental reflectance and transmittance spectra. A significant dependence of the overall optical behavior on the deposition angle is found. Furthermore, the band gap of the GeSbSe thin films was calculated. The accurate determination of the optical constants of films grown at glancing angle will enable the development of sculptured thin film fiber-optic chemical sensors and biosensors. (C) 2007 American Vacuum Society.