Upon completion of his doctorate, Carson moved back to Canada and served for three years at Northwest Baptist Theological College (now Northwest Baptist Seminary) in Vancouver as associate professor of New Testament and later as founding dean of the seminary in 1976. Carson joined the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School faculty in 1978 after then dean, Kenneth Kantzer, heard him deliver a paper at a theological conference. Carson served as Associate Professor of New Testament until 1982 when he became full professor. From 1991 to 2018, Carson was Research Professor of New Testament. He is now Emeritus Professor of New Testament.