What does research in a PHD program entail?

[ikibah]

Hi. I recently got into an MSW program and my plan for now is to become a psychotherapist. As of late the idea of becoming a professor and doing counseling on the side has been sounding appealing and I wanted to see if anybody here can help me out with a few questions about that.
1. Is it possible to teach at masters level? I know some big universities say a PHD is required but I thought I recalled somebody telling me that they teach with a masters. If a Masters only works for a community colleges and the sort then I'm not interested, part of what appeals to me about teaching is the somewhat lucrative salary that comes with teaching at a big U
2. If a PHD is a requirement I understand that it's basically five years of heavy research oriented course work. I have no research experience at all and I have absolutely no ides what it entails. Can somebody try to dumb down what research would consist of? Will I need a real understanding of math and statistics in which I am terrible?
3. Is there anything I can do while in my Masters program to help prepare me for a career in teaching (or admissions to a good PHD program)?

Thank you all for your help, I really look forward to hearing from you.

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[submarine1991]

I can speak to your first question. You may see when you begin grad school that many of your professors are licensed on the masters level. Some may be adjunct, some may be tenured. Others will have Doctorates alone or doctorates, masters, and MPH's. A friend of mine graduated from him MSW program in May 2012 and was just brought on as an adjunct professor at my prestigious school. So reaching at a masters level is not germane to community colleges. When you take research in the first year of your MSW program you will get a taste of what research at the doctorate level entails. Our research class was taught by the head of our Ph.D department and he is very passionate about it. He even recruited me to apply for the program.

 

[JustNoticing]

I don't think PhDs in social work are 5 years after you have earned an MSW. I believe it's closer to 3. Adjuncting with an MSW is certainly possible, as are other forms of teaching, tenure track jobs will be more difficult to come by.

3. Get research experience. Talk to the professors doing research in your program and ask how you can help.