TiO2 thin films were synthesized on quartz substrates at substrate temperatures of 350 degrees C and 450 degrees C by thermal spray pyrolysis technique using titanium oxy-acetyl acetonate as a precursor. The optical properties of the thin films were characterized by a Spectroscopic Ellipsometer (SE). The surface morphology of the thin films was studied using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The surface roughness values obtained using AFM and SE was compared. The refractive indices of the films were computed using a point by point ellipsometric data extraction procedure. The porosity of the films were modeled from the optical data by effective medium approximation and corroborated from empirical relations. Using Forouhi-Bloomer optical dispersion model, further treatment of SE data was carried out. The experimental investigations and modeling of the data were directed towards optical benchmarking of spray pyrolyzed titania thin films. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V.