The optical behavior of thin multilayer systems can be analyzed by generalized ellipsometry and modeled using transfer matrices. Recently, a method has been implemented for modeling the interference of multiply-reflected partial waves in the spectroscopic study of bianisotropic crystals of moderate thickness using light sources of finite coherence. Here, a partial wave model is compared to reflection Mueller matrix measurements in order to simultaneously and accurately determine the thickness of distinct hetero-metallic thin films that flank a bianisotropic crystal whose thickness corresponds to the partial wave regime. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.