Output during Master's degree

[Red Bull]

Dear Grads,

I am in the first year of my two year master's program (religious studies). I intend to apply to PhD programs in the next cycle. My question is this: do PhD programs expect you to publish papers/deliver papers during your master's program? I am learning Arabic and taking a full course load so I am having a tough time finding "extra" time to publish or otherwise build my C.V. like I did during my undergraduate studies. Do PhD admissions expect lots of extra work or is success in a master's program (grades, thesis work, language acquisition) sufficient? Thanks

[RosamundReage]

Yes, PHD programs do look for indicators of professional development as a means to weed out candidates as most people will have high GPAs and GRE scores. If you already have a publication from undergrad I wouldn't worry too much, but do try to apply for conferences. It is really easy to rework a course paper for a conference, so should't take up too much time. Also try to get the conference to publish your paper and you kill two birds with one stone!