My wife is a professional photograher in Red Deer and she would certainly echo Cowperson's comments that it really isn't all about the equipment. If you don't have an eye for the shot you really are not going to get a quality image. In this digital age you can do a lot to a photograph after shooting via photoshop etc. but if you get it right upon firing the shutter then you will save yourself a lot of time and trouble.
We shoot Canon dSLR's. (10d, 20d, 30d) and they really are an excellent range.
As for a photography course, I'm not sure. She took a two year course in Photo Technology at NAIT, which was well worth it, for the technical aspect. She also took a two year course in Fine Arts and Design which helps with the artistic side. I don't think that thats what you're looking for though. 4 years might be a tad too long for what you're thinking!
Good luck.
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