The research subject construction of accounting started in the 1950s. The accounting subject of RUC has a history of over 50 years from the Accounting Teaching Section in the Department of Finance, the independent Accounting Department in 1998, to the Business Administration School (now the Business School) in 2001. Every generation of the Accounting Department produces personnel of ability; among them are prestigious teachers such as Zhao Yumin and Yan Dawu, and many middle aged and young academic leaders such as Jing Xin, Dai Deming, Geng Jianxin, and Wang Huacheng who have undertaken the mission of developing Chinese accounting theory.

RBS is the key basis of national accounting research. It is one of the earliest Chinese universities which award doctoral and master degrees in accounting. There is also a postdoctoral research center for accounting in RBS. In 1991 Professor Yan Dawu himself founded the Institute for Accounting and Financial Theoretic Research.

In 2001the accounting discipline was awarded key national academic subject by the Ministry of Education. The specialized doctoral, postgraduate and undergraduate subjects are accounting and financial management. In 2004 RBS was selected MPAcc pilot unit for accounting and became the institution where is the Secretariat of National Guidance Committee for Master Degree Education in Accounting.

In 2006 RBS had a department restructuring. The Financial Department was independent and some faculty of the Accounting Department transferred to the Financial Department.