The Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences has opened its CUHAS OSIM-SAS portal for the 2026/2027 admission cycle, giving prospective students a central online route to apply for programmes at Bugando. As of the current portal notice, applications for master’s, ordinary diploma and bachelor’s programmes are closed, while doctorate applications remain open for the September intake, Round 1, with a deadline of December 31, 2026.
Bugando online application programmes and current status
CUHAS, commonly associated with Bugando in Mwanza, runs its applications through the Online Student Information Management System, known as OSIM. Applicants should pay close attention to the status shown beside each programme category before creating an account or preparing payments.
The portal currently lists four main application categories:
- Master’s programmes — Applications closed
- Ordinary diploma programmes — Applications closed
- Bachelor’s degree programmes — Applications closed
- Doctorate programmes — September intake, Round 1 open until December 31, 2026
That distinction matters. Applicants sometimes assume that because the general application portal is accessible, every programme is still accepting submissions. The university’s own portal shows otherwise. Candidates should therefore confirm the status of their intended programme before paying any application-related charges.
For Tanzania’s health-training sector, admission windows can attract strong interest because medicine, nursing, pharmacy and other health professions remain among the country’s most competitive study choices. CUHAS also occupies a distinctive position in the Lake Zone, where Bugando-linked medical training has long served students and health institutions from Tanzania and neighbouring East African countries.
How to apply through the CUHAS OSIM portal
New applicants should begin from the official CUHAS application page rather than relying on links circulated through social media, WhatsApp groups or unofficial education websites.
Visit the official portal at: https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/apply
The application process follows four main stages.
First, read the admission criteria for the programme you want to join. Entry qualifications vary by level and field, so applicants should confirm that their academic results meet the minimum requirements before starting.
Second, create an online account. The registration process gives the applicant credentials needed to access the admission system.
Third, log in using the email address and password created during registration.
Fourth, complete the internal application stages after logging in. CUHAS states that applicants must complete payment verification before moving beyond the relevant internal step. The university also says an application fee is required before an application can be submitted.
This means applicants should not treat account creation as proof that an application has been completed. A candidate is only progressing through the process until all required information, verification stages and submission requirements have been satisfied.
For prospective students applying from outside Mwanza, the online process reduces the need to travel simply to begin an application. That is especially useful for candidates from other Tanzanian regions and neighbouring East African countries, although applicants should still verify programme-specific requirements directly with CUHAS.
Eligibility checklist before starting an application
Before opening an account, applicants should check whether they are ready to proceed.
- Confirm that your intended programme is currently accepting applications.
- Read the minimum academic admission criteria for that programme.
- Prepare a working email address that you can access regularly.
- Keep your active mobile phone number available.
- Prepare your academic registration or examination details accurately.
- Have the documents requested for your programme ready for upload or reference.
- Be prepared to complete the required application-fee process.
- Check names, dates, examination numbers and contact details before submission.
- Save your login details securely.
- Keep proof of any payment made through the official application process.
Applicants should also remember that postgraduate, diploma, degree and doctoral programmes can have different eligibility rules. Meeting the requirements for one programme does not automatically make a candidate eligible for another.
CUHAS also provides a separate route for inter-university transfer students. Candidates seeking to transfer to the university can start through the official transfer application page:
https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/apply/transfer
Account registration, login and password recovery
Applicants who have already created an account can return to the CUHAS OSIM login page at:
https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/login
Students who need to create an OSIM account can use:
https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/signup/student
CUHAS also provides registration options for academic staff and alumni, but new admission applicants should make sure they use the correct applicant or student route instead of creating the wrong type of account.
If a password stops working, CUHAS advises applicants to use their Form Four index number in capital letters where required, using a format similar to SXXXX/XXXX/XXXX, while the username is the applicant’s email address.
A password reset can also be requested through:
https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/auth/request_password_reset
The portal states that password-reset links expire after one hour for security reasons. Applicants should therefore open the reset email promptly and complete the process before the link becomes invalid.
Application fees, verification and scam protection
CUHAS states that an application fee is required before an application can be submitted. The payment-verification stage cannot be skipped during the internal application process.
That requirement creates one area where applicants need to be careful. Fraudsters often target university applicants by pretending they can secure admission, reopen a closed application window or process payments through private numbers.
Use only instructions displayed inside the official CUHAS system or confirmed by the university. Do not send money to individuals who promise admission outside the established process. Avoid sharing passwords, email login codes or account-reset links with anyone claiming to be an admissions agent.
Applicants should also check the website address carefully. The official application system uses the bugando.ac.tz domain. Similar-looking addresses, shortened links or pages requesting unusual payments deserve extra scrutiny.
For Tanzanian applicants, keeping mobile-payment confirmation messages and transaction details can also be useful when resolving payment-verification problems. Do not delete payment evidence until the admission process is complete.
CUHAS admission and technical support contacts
Applicants who encounter genuine problems can contact the university using the help numbers listed on the CUHAS portal.
Admission Diploma: +255 737 749 903
Admission Office: +255 737 749 901 / +255 734 465 547
Technical Support: +255 737 749 906 / +255 734 465 548
Admission Postgraduate: +255 737 749 902
School of Nursing: +255 734 465 544
School of Medicine: +255 734 465 545
School of Pharmacy: +255 734 465 546
Using the correct office can save time. A password or system error is best directed to technical support, while questions about academic admission requirements should go to the relevant admissions office or school.
Applicants calling from outside Tanzania should remember to use the international country code +255. Those within Tanzania can follow the normal domestic calling format supported by their mobile network.
Why the CUHAS application process matters now
The most immediate issue for 2026/2027 applicants is timing. Bachelor’s, diploma and master’s applications are listed as closed, so candidates in those categories should avoid assuming that an application can still be submitted simply because the portal remains online.
Doctoral applicants have more room. The portal lists December 31, 2026 as the deadline for the September intake, Round 1, giving eligible candidates time to prepare documents and complete the required online stages.
Health-sciences admissions carry extra weight in Tanzania because training capacity, professional requirements and programme demand can make places highly competitive. Missing an application round may mean waiting for another intake rather than simply applying a few days late.
The safest approach is simple: use the official CUHAS OSIM portal, verify that your programme is open, read the admission criteria carefully and complete every required stage before the stated deadline.
Applicants should treat https://osim.bugando.ac.tz/apply as the primary starting point for the Bugando online application process. Check programme status before paying any fee, keep your application records secure and contact CUHAS directly whenever information from unofficial sources conflicts with the university portal.
