MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD

MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD

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Monster Ph.D.

Monster Ph.D.

Max out the research level (up to high rank) for many monsters.

30

1.01%

How to unlock the Monster Ph.D. achievement in MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD - Definitive Guide

Update 17/2/2019: Now only the original launch day monsters are required for this. The newly added monsters including and after Deviljho are not needed.


The description is misleading. Actually you need to research EVERY large monster. Because those hunters in the game can't do full research on Zorah Magdaros and Xeno'Jiiva, that's why the description says "almost".

Talk to Chief Ecologist, an old guy sitting in books, directly to your left every time you enter HQ, to update your research progress. You can also check progress from him or from your hunter's notes. This achievement will come in naturally if you managed to go for the crowns.

If you want to focus on this one, forge and equip a Hunter's Headgear α. The Scholar skill on it makes progress increase significantly faster.
You gain research progress by touching a monster's footprints that gives you 10 pts, and other bigger marks like scratches, mucus, feathers..etc, gives you 20 pts. Break a monster's part gives you 20~30 pts, 50 pts for kill and 90 for capture.

The cute part is, as mentioned above, you get only 50 or 90 from fighting, but you can get way much more pts by touching all marks. So if you want to do this quickly, the fastest way is wear the Ghillie Mantle and just tail behind a monster, walk around, touch everything it lefts. It doesn't matter you kill it or not. It's possible to gain full research of a monster without killing one.

Two of them may take some time. Tzitzi-Ya-Ku seems need double or triple pts than other monsters to fully research. Another one is Kushala Daora, it barely moves so its footprints and markers are pretty rare. I'd suggest use slingshot to lure him move around before kill him.

Edit: Talk to Chief Ecologist to check your progress. Some monsters have 6 levels (6 stars) and some have 4 levels (4 stars) to full fill. You need to fully get them.

After you update all monster research level from/to Chief Ecologist, the achievement pops.
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14 Feb 2018 12:13

27 Comments
What level is required for each monster to be fully researched? For example, my great jagras are at level 6. Is level 10 the max research level for each specific monster?
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By GameGod03 on 16 Feb 2018 06:11
Look at the stars. Monsters available in low rank have 6 stars (means level 6) to full fill and high-rank-only have 4 stars.
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By Taipei Kindom on 16 Feb 2018 16:14
I'm pretty sure low rank monsters only have three stars and once you reach high rank they have six stars (they add another three stars to each monster once high rank is reached). So getting every monster up to six stars nets you the achievement?
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By iN5iDiOU5 iRi5H on 18 Feb 2018 15:17
Yes six stars. Since there are high rank only monsters, things happen in low rank are not considered.
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By Taipei Kindom on 19 Feb 2018 05:47
Do you just need the stars, or the scout fly level too?
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By DramaticSAnTA on 20 Feb 2018 22:44
Scout fly doesn't matter.
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By Taipei Kindom on 21 Feb 2018 16:37
lavasioth is the worst thing in the game
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By Primm x on 21 Feb 2018 18:10
Bloody Great Girros, such an easy kill but whatever reason his points go up stupidly slow
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By AttitudePark on 23 Feb 2018 00:20
If anyone is still having trouble unlocking this, it actually means every one that is in the game at launch not including the dlc ones that are being released. At least that is when it unlocked for me and according to trophy guides that is what you have to do. All large to full star. Scoutfly does not matter.
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By ZombieNuuNuu on 19 Mar 2018 21:35
Looks like Deviljho is needed for the achievement now. Not sure if he changes the requirements for crowns, but it looks like it will.
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By Fuzzmeister J on 22 Mar 2018 12:14
Yea, Deviljho must be required now or my achievement is bugged because I finished researching all monsters yesterday after the Deviljho patch and no achievement popped.

EDIT: Confirmed that you need Deviljho for this achievement now. I fully researched it today and my achievement unlocked.
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By romanodog on 22 Mar 2018 20:48
Fully researched every monster but Deviljho and it didn't pop.
Fully researched Deviljho and it still didn't unlock even after talking to the researcher. When did this pop for you guys? At the end of the mission or after talking to the researcher?

Edit: There was a patch and Monster PH.D. is working for me now.
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By OverlordBrandon on 04 Apr 2018 19:38
To add, you also need to max out Kulve Taroth now. Since he’s a limited time hunt, I’m not sure how that’ll effect the achievement. I’d try to max him asap for those who don’t have the achievement yet.
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By Fooga on 20 Apr 2018 05:06
Confirmed that you need Kulve Taroth, for the moment. Popped after I reached level 4. Pretty easy to research, try to find a busy online session and then join or start the mission from the gathering hub.
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By IgneousBadger on 21 Apr 2018 00:00
There was a bunch of patches recently, and we can only hope that they will not add other monsters (like Deviljho) to the crown achievement.
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By Hexa Fox on 24 Apr 2018 18:56
Kulve Taroth is needed, so we have to wait until he is available again, I've maxed every monster except this one and no achievement
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By EroDaminous on 05 May 2018 17:21
Same. I just maxed all available monsters except Kulve Taroth and it did not pop. Gonna have to wait until he comes back around.
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By UraMallas on 05 May 2018 23:10
lunaastra is now needed
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By cooper101183 on 01 Jun 2018 11:23
Newest patch notes say that only original monsters are now needed for this.

Edit: Got it. I have everything researched except Lunastra.
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By Zalexzy on 02 Jun 2018 12:49
Can anyone confirm whether or not Behemoth is also required for this now?
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By OldMateClown on 27 Jan 2019 03:10
I can confirm only the original set of monsters are required as of today. I just popped the achievement, and I haven't fully researched 5 monsters. Lunastra, Kulve Taroth, Behemoth, Leshen, and Ancient Leshen. I had already completed Deviljho, but I assume it's not needed as well.
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By Dizzy Domes on 16 Feb 2019 10:18
Is there a list of which monsters are required? i already completed all the monsters above deviljho and this has still not unlocked.
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By Gdinut on 24 Apr 2019 16:34
This seems to do whatever it wants. I had to do Nergigante for the achievement. Already had Deviljho done and a couple below them both. So, I had everything from the top to Nergigante complete and go the achievement and got it when I spoke to the Ecological Researcher.
Item of note: had Kushala Daora, Teostra, Vaal Hazak, and Xeno'jiiva done as well.
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By DcupsOfJustice on 05 Oct 2019 19:17
Does anyone know if this now requires 9 levels because there is a purple level for master research since the expansion.
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By Kanchanaburi on 22 Aug 2020 15:17
to Kanchanaburi: There's another achievement for that.
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By Taipei Kindom on 24 Aug 2020 00:54
I unlocked it today and the monster I had were:
Zorah Magdros: lv4
Great Jagras: lv 6
Kulu-Ya-Ku:6
Pukei:6
Barroth:6
Jyuratodus:6
Tobi-Kadachi:6
Anjanath:6
Tzitzi ya ku: 6
Paolumu:6
Radobaan:6
Rathian: 6
Great Girros: 6
Legiana: 6
Odogaron: 6
Rathalos:6
Diablos:6
Kirin:6
Dodogama:4
Pink Rathian:4
Azure Rathalos:4
Black Diablos: 4
Lavasioth:4
Uragaan:4
Bazelgeuse:4
Deviljho: 4 (probably not needed, but just in case)
Nergigante: 4
Kushala Daora: 4
Teostra: 4
Vaal Hazak: 4
Xenojiva: 4

Lunastra is NOT needed, nor Behemoth, Leshen, Ancient Leshen.
Hope it'll help someone!
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By E73RN I Erj on 27 Oct 2020 19:18
I can confirm as of today and before the new frozen expansion drops, that everything excluding lunastra and lichen are needed.. All monster below deviljho are now part of the achievement. I figured I'd try to get this one out of the way today (Sat Aug 31 2019) before the new dlc drops in case it causes the list count to increase.

Before Starting I was missing 4 monsters from being max stars.. Lavaloft and Vaal Hazak (both of which are below Deviljho), Lunastra and Leshen.. I got Lavaloft to max went to book guy and no achievement so I went onto Vaal Hazak and sure enough after maxing him and talking to the book guy the achievement unlocked.. Currently the only 2 I do not have maxed are Lunastra and Leshen. Kulve, Xeno and Zorah are also all maxed So I can't confirm nor deny they are needed, as few say no while others say yes.. Since mine are maxed I will say "yes".

Anyone missing any monsters you have a week to get it done before the new DLC updates the monsters list and possibly this achievement.
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By elquietone on 31 Aug 2019 17:32
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For this achievement, "almost every monster" refers to all Big monsters only, but both the low-rank (green stars) and high-rank (yellow stars) versions. Some of the later monsters in the game won't have a low-rank though and you'll only see yellow stars. You will be able to track your progress on all the monsters at the Ecological Research center in Astera (the First Wyverian sitting on the huge stack of books). There are 30 monsters total.

To rank up in your research, you will want to grab as many tracks or biological samples from monsters as you run around on missions and expeditions, and also kill or capture the same monster a large number of times. Targeting specific parts on a monster and breaking them off also gives a little bit of progress. It isn't all that difficult to accomplish, but will definitely take some time. Be aware that if you haven't finished researching the low-rank version of a monster by the time you unlock six-star challenges, you don't need to go back and do low-rank missions to progress the low-rank research. Researching high-rank monsters will progress the low-rank and then begin work toward the high-rank once it's caught up.

For a list of all monsters and their weaknesses, see HERE.

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It is necessary to fully upgrade the research level of each monster, including ancient dragons. You also need to level up a high rank; you don’t need to level up the firefly level.
It is better to do this in investigations, as there is a chance of getting a small or large crown.
If it's not an ancient one, try to catch monsters, so you'll get more research points.
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10 Feb 2018 04:02

1 Comment
Devillo, Lunastra, Leshy and Bahamut are not required for the trophy. The trophy drops after submitting research to the eco-group.
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By iamhappyguy on 13 Mar 2019 10:06
Regular monsters need to be pumped up to level 6, Elders - up to 4.
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20 Feb 2018 18:18

3 Comments
Not all regular normal monsters are level 6. research. About a third of them, like the ancients, have level 4. Well, the exception from the ancients is Kirin, he has level 6.
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By iamhappyguy on 11 Mar 2019 09:39
The maximum research level for monsters that first appear in HP is 6; in VR 4
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By petr211071 on 06 Jun 2020 08:59
There is no need to level up the purple research level, there is a trophy for it in Iceborne.
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By psaer on 19 May 2021 20:03
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