Hafner-Burton received a B.A. in political science and philosophy from
Seattle University in 1995, when she was also awarded the
Story Award for the highest student achievement in Women’s Studies and the
Kennedy Award for the highest student achievement in Political Science. She was a recipient of a National Education Achievement Foundation Scholarship Award in 1994. After graduation she apprenticed as a blacksmith before winning a scholarship which involved travelling to Geneva, Switzerland where she worked for an "international nongovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and disarmament." This involved spending time at the United Nations, which in turn led her towards a career in political science. She earned an M.A. in political science from
University of Wisconsin—Madison in 1999 and a Ph.D. in political science from the
University of Wisconsin—Madison in 2003. During her Ph.D. studies she was a recipient of the following fellowships, grants and prizes: • European Union Center fellowship, University of Wisconsin—Madison (2000) • MacArthur Consortium, global studies scholarship, University of Wisconsin (2000 to 2001) • Center for International Security and Cooperation, MacArthur fellow,
Stanford University (2001 to 2003) • Graduate Student Council, Vilas travel grant, University of Wisconsin—Madison (2002) • Scott Kloeck-Jenson International pre-dissertation grant, University of Wisconsin (2002) •
National Science Foundation, dissertation improvement grant in political science (2002) • University Dissertator fellowship, University of Wisconsin—Madison (2002 to 2003) •
American Political Science Association Prize for best dissertation in human rights (2004) • American Political Science Association Helen Dwight Reid Award for best dissertation in international relations, law, and politics (2005) She was awarded an honorary M.A. from
Oxford University in 2003. ==Grants, fellowships, awards and gifts==