Crystalline substrates are known to function as a template for the growth of Van der Waals materials. Van der Waals materials, specifically transition metal dichalcogenides, have gained attention in the past decade due to their interesting chemical and physical properties, as well as the potential they hold for applications, particularly in the field of (opto-)electronics. The crystalline quality of these materials can be improved by epitaxial growth. Herein, the influence substrate selection has on ordering the growth of MoS₂ is examined. Specifically, the impact sapphire crystal orientation has on the morphology and alignment of MoS₂ grown by chemical vapor deposition is investigated. C-plane (0001), R-plane (1102), A-plane (1120), and M-plane (1010) Al₂O₃ substrates, annealed at high temperature in air, are used as templates for MoS₂ growth.