MnS thin films have been successfully prepared by thermal evaporation method at different substrate temperatures using different masses of MnS powder. The prepared films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and UV -visible spectrophotometry. The XRD measurements show that the films crystallized in the pure alpha-MnS for substrate temperatures above 100 degrees C The optical bandgap of thin films is found to be in the range of 3.2-3.3 eV. A factorial experimental design was used for determining the influence of the two experimental parameters on the films growth. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.