There is no minimum requirement in most universities in US. Most good PhD advisors however do have a minimum pubs requirement. Typically, in non-theory areas, i

There is no minimum requirement in most universities in US. Most good PhD advisors however do have a minimum pubs requirement. Typically, in non-theory areas, it is 3 first-author top-conference papers, and higher if you are directly applying for faculty positions. The reason is that if you meet this requirement, they feel comfortable letting you defend yourself against the committee. (A student failing a PhD defense would be a big embarrassment for the advisor). That said, such requirements do not matter to superstar candidates, their bar is much much higher. Typically, by this time, they are already giving invited talks at famous venues, so defense is merely a formality for them.