My master program is going to start this fall,and I intend to look for a PHD position after I graduate(there are no PHD positions offered in current school). Since the MFA degree is more focus on professional training rather than research ability, I worried about how to prepare myself within the future two years. The basic steps I know of, but the practical process? ex. Due to the lack of research experiences, how should I narrow down/evaluate the topics I'm interested in?

thanks in advance for any suggestion.