The founding chancellor, Hakim Said,[4] had been long advocating for the establishment of private-sector higher education learning institutions.

He received the university's charter from then-President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in a solemn ceremony.

An area of about 178 acres was earmarked at Madinat al-Hikmah: "a City of Education, Science, and Culture" in Bund Murad neighborhood of Gadap Town in Karachi.

[12] Stretching over an area of 350 acres, Madinat al-Hikmah includes, in addition to the establishments of the university, Hamdard Garden, sports stadium, Hamdard Public School and college, operating as its earliest institutions, imparting education from primary to higher secondary level, and Bait al-Hikmah library.

Later on, another city campus operating weekend and evening programs was started in PECHS, Karachi.

During the period, five Lahore-, Islamabad- and Karachi-based organisations, imparting professional education, became affiliated with the university.

Hamdard University Islamabad also has a city campus in Blue Area near China Chowk.

Later on, the graduate studies were offered under the institute of GSESIT and HIET – Karachi was dedicated for the bachelor's programs only.

Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences Karachi offers a four-year program of Bachelor of Business Administration in undergraduate category, a Management Sciences program, and a post-graduate M.B.A (Master of Business Administration) program which has been divided into four categories with respect to the time-span and previous education: City Campus – I is an extension to the Institute of Management Sciences, Karachi.

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences offers undergraduate degrees in medicine and dentistry.

Hamdard College of Medicine & Dentistry is included in the list of permanent members of PMDC under council's ordinance 1962 (Schedule I, III-A and V).

[15] The college has been granted recognition by Pakistan Medical Commission for fellowship training in department of General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Operative Dentistry.

HIPS – Karachi provides education to the students in collaboration with Hamdard University Hospital, Taj Medical Complex, K.V.

The hostels in the vicinity of Main Campus, Madinat al-Hikmah are: To accommodate the increasing number of students, one extra building was acquired on lease in 2011.

This dormitory serves as a boys' hostel and is in 4-K Chowrangi, North Karachi, which is about 14 kilometres from the Main Campus.

The Students-Teachers Centre (STC) is the central cafeteria of the main campus, which provides food and a facility for student-teacher interaction.

Transportation for students, faculty, and staff members between the Main Campus and different parts of the city is provided by a fleet of university-owned and on-contract vehicles which include buses, Coasters, HiAces, and mini-vans.

cassettes, as well as postage stamps, coins, and photographs of Hamdard University/Foundation activities,[21] making it one of the largest libraries in South Asia.

The foundation-stone of Bait al-Hikmah was laid on 17 June 1985 by the then-President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Other faculty members include Sarwar Munir Rao (Mass Communication), electrical engineer Atta-ur-Rehman Memon, and Zillur Rahman (who has been serving as visiting professor of medicine since 1997).