<p>Are you going for a Ph.D or thesis-based M.S? Then it’s almost a must. You can try to work as a research assistant after graduation.
It’s not required though, because I know someone who got into a Ph.D Chemistry program without any research experience. But he dropped out after a few semesters lmao.
If you’re going for non-thesis M.S or M.E then probably not. In that case try to get an industry job and ask your employer for a tuition reimbursement.</p>