In most states, you"ll have to complete your bachelor"s degree, and then complete a two-year masters program to become a licensed social worker. You may also have to perform up to two years of supervised work before you obtain a license to work unsupervised. If you know that you want to be a social worker before you start your undergrad, you might be able to bring this down to four total years, by obtaining a Bachelor"s in Social Work, or BSW.