Defense Resource Management College was established as one of the Colleges of Defense University College (now Defence University) in 2001. At the time, the College’s mission was producing skilled manpower in the fields of Accounting and Finance, Management and Procurement and Supply Chain Management.
To achieve this, the College has been offering education and training in the fields mentioned above after recruiting members of the armed forces. The recruitment was made based on the criteria set by the Ministry of Education. The education and training were given in to programs- TVET and First Degree.
Since 2007, it launched extension classes in the same disciplines and facilitated access to education mainly for members of the armed forces and other parts of the civilian communities residing in Addis Ababa and its surroundings. This gave chance primarily to many members of the defence forces who couldn’t take study leave to get further education. In addition to this, the civilian communities were not only accessing educational opportunities but also getting the opportunity to be acquainted to the members of the armed forces. The college also benefited from the community service it rendered.
In addition, with the intention of giving more access to members of the defence forces who are geographically scattered to defend the motherland, the college hurled distance education program in Management, Accounting and Finance and Organizational Leadership. All the fields offered education in first degree programs.
During its tenure the college, trained a total of 2,340 graduates. Among these, there are graduates who joined the College from Defence Forces of neighboring countries such as Djibouti, South Sudan and Somalia. Graduates of the regular and extension programs consisted of members of Federal Police in and around Addis Ababa, members of Addis Ababa police and members of other security sectors. Moreover, there are large number of civilians, especially in the evening program, who graduated from the College in its eleven years   journey.
In addition to undergraduate and technical and vocational programs, the college has been providing short-term trainings in different areas for defense departments and civil society organizations. In this regard, the college has achieved great results.
However, in 2011 the college has been forced to terminate its activities with the assumption that the National Defence could employ professionals in the areas of business from the market. Therefore, this strategic change doomed the departments of Management, Accounting and Finance and Procurement and Supplies unnecessary.
As a result of the transformation that has been taking place in the Ministry of Defence since 2017, the ministry decided to reestablish the College. Upon its reestablishment, the college was given unblemished mission of supporting the process of building modern Military in Ethiopia by producing skilled personnel in the fields of Accounting and Finance, Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management and other areas whenever demand is set by concerned bodies of the Ministry.
Before its termination, the college was located at Mekanisa Kore campus in Addis Ababa. After its reestablishment, it was decided to relocate it to the campus of Engineering College, Bishofttu.
To effectively discharge its duties, the College is structured to be led by a Commandant and three deans (Academic dean, Research and Community Service Dean, and Teaching Learning Support Dean).
In addition to the conventional programs, the college has developed a training kit for short-term trainings that will enhance the professional repertoire of MoD’s staff and others who are interested. Furthermore, the college is conducting needs assessment to  launch technical and vocational training programs